Life was tough pitch to score on for India’s under-19 vice-captain Shaik Rasheed

VIJAYAWADA: U-19 vice-captain

Shaik Rasheed

’s success came the hard way. Years of practice and sacrifices made by his father helped him overcome hurdles and prove himself. TOI interacted with the family members of

Rasheed

at his home in

Guntur

on Sunday. His father

Balisha

and mother Jyothi became emotional while explaining the hardships they faced in training Rasheed.

“I was working in a private company in Hyderabad when Rasheed was born. We enrolled Rasheed in a cricket coaching camp in Hyderabad at the age of 8. Initially, they refused to admit him, but Rasheed managed to secure admission there. At 10, Rasheed got selected in the U-14 Andhra Pradesh team. We moved to Guntur to provide him coaching at Mangalagiri stadium in 2014,” Balisha said.

Balisha added, “Our financial situation became worse ever since we moved to Guntur. Salary got reduced but expenses remained the same. I sold fruits at the market to stay afloat. The ACA cricket academy was around 25 km from our house and we used to ferry him daily on my motorcycle.”

Balisha said success always made his son forget pain. “I used to take Rasheed for various tournaments in country. We didn’t have enough money for advance reservations. So we used to go in general class. I still remember Rasheed sleeping on his cricket kit placed next to the toilet in the general compartment. But I forgot the pain after he played a good innings at the match” Balisha said.

Rasheed’s mother Jyothi said they never bothered to buy costly home appliances but ever provided quality training for their son.