JAIPUR: Seven years after earning his Test cap, former India and Rajasthan pacer Pankaj Singh has decided to hang up his boots. The bowler looks at his 17 years of cricketing journey with a subdued sense of pride and satisfaction.
It was at the age of 17, Singh decided to move out of Amethi to make Jaipur his base, and he feels the move was worth the effort as he recalls the old days. In the years to come, he became a domestic stalwart and an architect of many Rajasthan victories.
On Saturday, when the fast bowler announced his retirement from all forms of cricket leaving behind an illustrious career, he said that earning a Test cap on July 27, 2014 during India's tour of England is the most cherished moment of his cricketing career.
"Playing under MS Dhoni made it more special and it felt that the hard work that I had put in to reach there was all worth it. Playing an important role in helping Rajasthan win the Ranji Trophy titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12, is also one of the most memorable memories," Singh told TOI. He made his First-Class debut in 2004 two years after reaching Jaipur.
Though his international career is limited to two Tests and a lone ODI, his CV boasts of 472 First-Class wickets embedded with 28 five-wicket hauls. The 118 List A scalps only substantiates his case.
The right-arm seamer conceded to having gone through emotions of feeling cornered despite repeated performances at the domestic level. However, there is only contentment today. "At the age of 36, the moments which 10 years back felt like disappointments, now appears to be a great learning experience that has shaped up my personality as a cricketer and as an individual."
He was mulling retirement for the past one year and finally took the call after several discussions with family, former players and coaches.
The Rajasthan bowler completed BCCI's hybrid level-2 coaching course last year, and he is now planning to associate himself with cricket in a coach's role.
Having shouldered the responsibility of spearheading Rajasthan's bowling attack with distinction for 14 years, before moving to play for Pondicherry in 2018, Singh says his captaincy stint made him more mature as a player.
"It was in 2014 that I was first given the role of a captain. Leading a team was a brilliant experience. It was an added responsibility, but it made me learn how to bring everyone together and work as a team. Not just players, you also learn to deal with the administrators," said Singh, who has played 117 First-Class games and represented Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals in IPL between 2008 and 2012.
When asked about what is that one thing he would expect the cricket administrators to introduce for the betterment of domestic players, Singh said he wishes to see the contract system being incorporated into the system. "The sooner it happens, the better it will be," he concluded.
