Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 3: Bilkees Rasool, 19, from Bonyar area of North Kashmir seeks support from the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association to achieve her goal of representing Jammu and Kashmir at the national level.
The budding cricketer wants to join a local club where she can hone her talent by getting coaching and training. The bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi inspires her, and she wants to bowl with the same speed.
“I want to bowl fast like him. But for that I need proper training. I request the administration to help me in getting the admission in a club,” she said.
She has represented the Jammu and Kashmir in the tennis ball cricket in 2020. She also plays for the college team. “I am hoping to clear the under 23 trials this year. Last year the trials did not take place due to COVID-19,” she said.
She was born on 6th July 2003 in a middle-class family. Her father is a driver by profession and he has a big family to support. She, however, has big dreams and wants to represent India at the international level. “For that, I need the support of JKCA, so that I can train myself for any challenge,” she said.
Being a resident of Nowshera village, a far-flung area in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, she faces immense hardships in pursuing her dream. “It is really difficult for me to play matches at different places in Kashmir. The financial problems are the major impediment,” she said.
According to her, she had an inclination towards cricket right from her childhood. She, however, lacks the financial support required to pursue her career in cricket. “I cannot afford to play cricket. My father is a driver, and he has to take care of the entire family,” she said.
She is presently studying in 2nd year at Women’s Degree College Baramulla and spends most of her free time playing cricket.