I’m a cricket tragic, and a dad. This statistic saddens me

Seven years ago, a young couple, filled with enthusiasm about setting up their new home in Australia, boarded a one-way flight from India. One a cricket tragic and the other, not so much. The tragic, of course, was me. One of the few things I brought from India was a used leather ball from my school days. On our very first weekend here, my wife joined me on a pilgrimage to Bowral, home of Sir Don Bradman. She may not quite understand how a game can last five days and still end in a draw, but she’s always supported my cricket obsession with good humour and generosity. Cricket has underpinned my whole life. It has shaped friendships, sparked debates, and has now become a platform for my ambitions for our daughters. Together with my wife, I nurse a quiet dream that one day they’ll wear the green and gold for Australia. Last summer, my six-year-old daughter Neeti and I participated in the Daughters and Dads Cricket program at the Cricket NSW facility in Silverwater, Sydney. Developed by Professor Philip Morgan at the University of Newcastle, the program mixes cricket skills with playful activities that get dads and daughters moving together. Research shows it lifts skills, boosts engagement, and makes it far more likely girls will stay in the game. My daughter loved the program. She learned to bowl and play a neat pull shot, but the real win was watching her grow more confident and resilient. Since then, most weekends we play in the backyard — and she’s already asking to join cricket practice this summer. I couldn’t be happier.