This no-arm batsman is on a roll

Published Feb 25, 2016

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H E was eight when he lost both his arms in an accident with a bandsaw machine.

Twelve years later, he is a cricketer playing for his state, batting, bowling and fielding with a level of ease attained by few of his able-
bodied peers.

South Kashmir resident Aamir Hussain, 20, pictured, has confounded the people in Bijbehara, 45km from 
Srinagar, with his amazing cricketing ability.

Aamir is a resident of Waghama village near Bijbhehar on the banks of the Jhelum river, which is part of the Kashmir Valley belt that specialises in making the famed Kashmir Willow bat.

Here, young boys take to ball and bat from a young age, going out to the field whenever they find the opportunity.

The first Jammu and Kashmir cricketer to find a place in the Indian national team, Parvez Rasool, also hails from Bijbehara.

For Hussain, his dream of becoming a cricketer seemed to have died when he lost both his arms from the shoulders while playing near a bandsaw machine at a willow-cutting unit.

For his parents – Bashir Ahmad Lone and Raja Begum – the accident was a huge shock. His father, a farm labourer, sold almost his entire property to save his son – the second of five siblings comprising four sons and a daughter.

Hussain remained confined to a hospital bed for almost three years.

After the youngster was released, he learnt how to live life as a differently-abled person – with his doting grandmother assisting him in each step of the torturous rehabilitation process.

He learnt to perform daily chores – so easy for a normal-bodied person – with his lower limbs.

Slowly, but surely, he began picking up objects with his feet and, over a 
period of time, could lift a glass full of water to his lips, wash himself and even comb his hair.

“It took me two years to learn to do all things by myself. Now I do them easily without anyone’s help,” he said.

He also learnt to hold a pen with his foot, to write and paint with a brush.

“Initially, I found it very hard to write. But I had no other option. I wanted to prove myself,” Hussain said.

Despite hardships, he picked up his interrupted studies and managed to pass his class 10 and 12 examinations.

Each difficulty he faced became a challenge he aimed to overcome – he even learnt to swim after watching ducks to see how they paddle.

Yet his dream of being a cricketer had not died as previously thought. He developed a unique style of holding the bat between his neck and shoulder, to effectively tackle the bowling. He also acquired another remarkable ability – to hold the red cherry in his toes and hurl it as a leg spin, swinging his foot from the hip.

As for fielding, he does it with aplomb, using his feet dexterously to stop the ball or catch it.

Because of his extraordinary bowling and batting skills, he was picked for the Jammu and Kashmir para-cricket team in 2013 and soon appointed captain of the squad.

The devastating floods of 2014 in the Kashmir Valley kept Hussain out of cricket for a year, but the state team management did not allow him to remain away from the game for long.

He skippered the state team at the 2015 inter-state para-cricket tournament in Lucknow where his team won against Manipur.

His form was admired by everyone at the tournament.

Having played in Jammu, Delhi and Lucknow, Hussain now has his sights set on foreign venues representing India at International Para-Cricket tournaments.

His struggle for a normal life against all odds is the story of an extraordinary achievement which is likely to inspire others around the world.

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