CHENNAI: As Alishan Sharafu took the field after United Arab Emirates opener Aryansh Sharma was dimissed, he may have felt a sense of belonging at the fabled MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
Donning the number seven jersey at the arena where former India and Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni is one amongst the most revered, Sharafu seemed destined for a big knock.
He lived up to the billing of being a big hitter, as he scored 55 runs to guide UAE to 173, which seemed a competitive total, before New Zealand decimated the Emirati side by 10 wickets.
"I enjoyed my time out there in the middle and part of me having the number 7 is because of Dhoni and the other one being (Cristiano) Ronaldo. I'm quite happy that it worked out well," he told reporters post match.
Apart from slamming Kiwi pacer Jimmy Neesham and spinner Glenn Phillips off the park, Alishan caught the imaginations of the crowd by the little things he does everytime his shot goes for a boundary or a maximum — adjusting his gloves just like Dhoni does in most instances.
Everything about that knock was close to perfect. He sent Lockie Ferguson's 140 kilometre-an-hour delivery for six, after sending a low full-toss for four in an over. He also stood tall against Matt Henry who is still considered one of the best pacers in the game.
It took a brilliant effort from Mark Chapman from deep mid-wicket to dismiss Sharafu, as he launched a slog shot off Mitchell Santner. Chapman relayed the ball back to Daryl Mitchell, the nearby fielder.
While he might have got the crowd in applause for the catch and his knock, one thing Alishan may have missed is his family. "They are back home in Dubai for my younger brother's board exams," he said.
Alishan's journey
Sharafu, who was born in Kanhangad in Kerala, which is about 700 kilometres west of Chennai, the place where he first scored his World Cup half century, had moved to the UAE with his parents. His father Sharafudeen TK was working with his brothers who are based in Abu Dhabi and after that has ever since been in the IT industry.
Growing up, Alishan perhaps has had trysts with multiple sports. Karate for example was somewhere he could have made his mark.
"Blue Belt!," he chuckles, before saying, "Before cricket, I tried to do a lot of things and I just stopped it when I didn't enjoy it anymore. Cricket, I guess, is what I have enjoyed playing for the longest time.
A father's role in grooming a son into sports comes crucial. Likewise Alishan's father was someone who did not hesitate to sacrifice his time for his son's cricketing needs. "Obviously, he's been the biggest support system in my cricket and we sacrificed quite a bit. It's not easy to take your child to cricket training a few times a week and give up all other work and time of him hanging out with other people. Again, I'm grateful for all the support and it was a lot of work put in early on when I started and I'm just forever grateful for it," he said.
From admiring the 2011 World Cup heroes like Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni from the screens, Alishan quickly came through the ranks, and in one instance had tried for the selection trials in the Kerala state teams for age-group cricket. "I was 15 at the time and obviously the channel in India, you have to go through district, state and it's a long process but I made it into the U18 when I was 15 so it was a decision that I had to make whether I had to stay back or come and try out here so I took the international route and went and played the United Nations Cup in Dubai," he said.
That decision, paid off in dividends. Years later, Alishan has established himself as one of the mainstays in the squad. The 23-year-old is now dubbed a 'senior.' by his captain Muhammad Waseem.
Most of his growth could be due to former India cricketer Robin Singh's presence, who was the Director of Cricket at the Emirates Cricket Board. "Yeah, I was quite young when I got picked up into the national side and yes, I didn't play a lot of games initially making it into the national side but I think that sort of exposure was important for me to stay around the team and to train as much as possible and be on tours, pick up things from other players. I think it was quite important that he thought I would get game time when I was ready and it took a few years but I'm grateful for all the people that supported and especially him being the coach when I broke into the national side initially," he said.
Another big catalyst behind his development is playing in the ILT20, which featured the format's best players in Andre Russell, Sunil Narine. In a league where only two local players get to take part in a team, Sharafu revelled in the opportunity to play and grow. It is such initiatives, he feels will help cricket grow in the country. "Obviously when I made my debut 5 years ago we had only played one World Cup then and 5 years later this is our second appearance and we've got a league of our own and I think we're in a pretty good space and it's moving upwards and I think it's going in the right direction," he signed off.
