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U-19 Cricket World Cup: Cabbie’s son with roots in Mohali to play for Australia
Harkirat Singh Bajwa, 17, who moved to Australia from Mohali with his family in 2012, has been selected in Australia U-19 cricket team for the world cup
Baljit Singh Bajwa’s phone has been buzzing with calls from Mohali as he is driving his taxi in the streets of Melbourne, after his 17-year-old son Harkirat Singh Bajwa made it to the Australia U-19 cricket team.
It has been almost nine years since Baljit and his family migrated to Melbourne, but his relatives back in Mohali have been following Harkirat’s game all this while and are over the moon as he is set to represent Australia in the upcoming U-19 World Cup to be held in the West Indies from January 14.
“It is phenomenal to see my son do well for Victoria in age group tournaments and bag a berth in the Australian U-19 team, which will compete in the World Cup. It was my dream to see Harkirat play for Australia one day. The U-19 team is just a start for him,” says Baljit, 45, who was a construction engineer in Mohali and was part of the team that constructed the PCA Stadium.
The family moved to Melbourne in 2012. As a seven-year-old, Harkirat had just played gully cricket in Mohali, but when he arrived in Australia, he joined Chelsea Cricket Club to hone his cricketing skills. An off-spinner with bowling action very similar to India’s Harbhajan Singh, Harkirat idolises both Harbhajan and Ravichandran Ashwin.
“I am greatly inspired by both the Indian spinners. I have grown up seeing Harbhajan Singh’s videos and a bit of my bowling action resembles his. Learning the sport in Melbourne has been the best thing to have happened to me,” says Harkirat, who plays for Melbourne Cricket Club and has also played for Australia U-16 team before the pandemic.
Harkirat says his father took up driving a cab to remain independent and take him to practice sessions when required. “He has been a tremendous support, pushing me from the start,” says Harkirat, a devout Sikh and a true Punjabi by heart.
Many Indian-origin cricketers, such as Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Jaskirat Singh Sangha and Tanveer Sangha, went on to play for Australia senior men’s team after doing well for the Australian U-19 teams in the past. Harkirat has this fact in the back of his mind.
“All of them have proved their mettle at the junior level before getting a chance for the Australian senior team. I am eyeing success in the Caribbean and want to do well for my team. My dream will come true the day I get selected for the Australian senior team,” he says, while adding that he admires Australian spinners Shane Warne, Nython Lyon and Stuart McGill.
Australia last won the U-19 World Cup in 2010. They take on hosts West Indies in the opener on January 14.
