Microsoft Word Resettlement: Fill & Download for Free

Why don't Australians like refugees?Australians don’t dislike refugees. In fact the UN has bestowed accolades on Australia for having one of the most successful refugee resettlement programmes in the world.And there is the rub. Non-refugees attempt to enter Australia illegally, those that are not fleeing from life threatening circumstances. Persons just seeking a better life, and thus depriving those with genuine need from entering Australia.In Cambodia & other Asian nations, there are 1000s of refugees who have been patiently awaiting resettlement, but alas, Australia is a nation with limited water and arable land, and cannot accommodate an uncontrolled increase in its population.70% of Australia’s population lives in two cities on the South East coast. Both cities have had to build desalination plants and invest in recycling water to meet current water demand. especially during drought which regularly effects Australia. In fact, most major cities & regional centres on the coast have had to install desalination plants. Most of Australia’s inland is desert or marginal land with little rainfall. Thus inland Australia is sparsely inhabited because there are few sustainable resources and little water.Australia is ranked 2nd amoungst the nations with the highest standards of living (USA 18th), and 7th in the ranking of per capital wealth. However both statistics are deceptive.Because of our lack of water & arable land, volatile natural environment, isolation from the world, and the fact that we have largely hit population saturation levels, each person added to the nation has a negative impact on our per capita wealth and thus standard of living. The reason for this…Australia is dependent on foreign capital to build infrastructure. Very little of Australia is owned by Australians, most things of value are owned by overseas corporations and pension funds. Thus Australia is asset rich (mineral resources) for now but revenue poor.Australia is not a manufacturing nation, and most things (food largely excepted) are imported. For instance: at the extreme, Apple & Microsoft price gouges Australian consumers making them pay more for downloaded software than their equivalent consumers in the USA or even Europe. Why? Because they can!The upshot: whilst wages are high in Australia compared to say the USA, the cost of living is extremely high compared to say the USA. This means it costs the Australian taxpayer a lot more to accommodate refugees than say the USA or Europe. The predicament becomes worse because Australia has high standards compared to many countries in our resettlement programmes. We have no intention of creating an underclass of Australians. An underclass would inevitably lead to social division & terrorism in the future (eg: Europe).What you read about in the tabloids of supposed refugees, are people that fly into safe havens and then pay people smugglers for passage to Australia. They are told to destroy their documentation before embarking, to frustrate refugee authorities attempts to prove their status. The authorities have woken up to this ruse, and now those claiming refugee status are put into detention until their claims are verified. If they want, they can withdraw their application and the Australian government will fly them back to their country of origin (which often won’t accept them), or to any other country that will accept their entry (NZ excluded, until the current free-passage between the two countries is restricted).One of the major issues had been the number of people drowning at sea. Australia’s refugee policy is aimed at limiting the number of people effectively committing suicide!The people smugglers as a general rule deceive people, collect their money and cram people onto overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels, which are prone to breaking down and sinking in the vast seas surrounding Australia.The Australian & Indonesian governments patrol their territorial waters and were regularly saving sinking boats (it took a while for Indonesia to get on board and tighten their security to prevent boats being launched from Indonesian territory. Australia inevitably had to donate to the Indonesian government equipment to get Indonesian authorities to police their borders).If you support modern day boat people then you are supporting piracy, people smuggling (often associated with theft, rapes & murders) and invasion of territory by unauthorised agents and at times terrorists. In short, you are criminally minded and not a humanitarian.The solution to the current refugee crises is very simple. Middle Eastern Muslims need to forget their tribal vendettas, organise themselves into co-operative miltias and destroy the Taliban, Daesh and other fanatical groups, submit to their governments and pursue peaceful negotiations for the resolution of the economic problems in their societies. If this should occur, there would be no more excuse for the USA sustaining its imperialism and military expansionism in the region.There would be no refugees in the Middle East, Afghanistan & Pakistan, if Muslims actually practiced their religion and “submitted their lives to Allah” (the meaning of Islam and the word Muslim). This is what is required to solve the current refugee crisis!Once that problem is resolved, the world can get back to resolving the issue of the millions of desirable and genuine refugees who have been waiting patiently in safe havens, often in deplorable conditions, for a new life in a free land.

If we take a look at the Indian cricketing circle, we will encounter numerous inspirational stories of players who have traversed their way from rags to richesGlobally, the game of cricket has undergone a sea of change in terms of formats, techniques and rules, over the years. Test cricket has paved way for shorter and exciting formats of One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 cricket, jerseys have changed hues from white to bright colours, boundaries have become shorter and cricketing shots have been rewritten in the rule book. Indian cricket has also revamped itself, keeping tune with the proceedings worldwide.One of the major changes that have occurred in the game in India is that gone are the days when only the aristocrats and royalties would get to don the pristine, white jerseys and walk out onto the lush green cricket fields when cricket was labelled as a game for the Maharajas and not the ordinary masses. Today, cricket is a game for one and for all. If we take a look at the Indian cricketing circle, we will encounter numerous inspirational stories of players who have traversed their way from rags to riches.1. Umesh YadavUmesh Yadav. (Photo Source: Twitter)As the son of a coal miner, Indian pacer, Umesh Yadav had to witness the worst of adversities before making it big. His father was employed as a coal mine worker from Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh and Yadav spent his childhood in Valli, a village of miners and their families. Owing to their constrained income, he was only able to participate in tennis-ball tournaments while growing up, as he could not afford to practice with the standard cricket ball.Moreover, Yadav had absolutely no plans to become a cricketer. He dreamt of working in the army or the police force, but fate had different plans for him. At 20 years of age, Yadav was persuaded by a friend to try out his hand in leather-ball cricket and from there on, there was no looking back for him! At 22 he was playing for India. At 23, he had been bought for $750,000 in the 2011 Indian Premium League ( IPL) auction and since then, he’s become one of the sturdiest pillars in the Indian pace department.2. Mohammed ShamiIndian cricketer Mohammed Shami. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images)Indian pace master, Mohammed Shami’s journey is truly an inspirational one. Born in the rural backdrop of Uttar Pradesh, Shami’s talent was first noticed by his father, Tousif Ali, who had also been a fast bowler in his youth. Being a farmer, Ali was not in a state to make ends meet, but that didn’t hinder him from encouraging his son to play cricket.Shami resettled to Kolkata in 2006, in order to chase his dreams of playing for his country. From earning a paltry sum of Rs. 500 per match day to sleeping inside a club tent on the vast Kolkata Maidan, the reverse-swing specialist has fought against all the woes in life. Currently, not only does he own a luxurious apartment and a premium sedan, but he also acknowledges and stays true to his humble roots. In fact, the 27-year old cricketer has contributed largely in bringing about development in his ancestral village.3. Ravindra JadejaRavindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Instagram)Hailing from a modest background, Ravindra Jadeja’s ascent to fame and glory is much like a fairytale. Before he was lovingly entitled by the title of “Sir Jadeja” by the entire nation, Ravindra had to wade through troubled waters in his formative years. Since his father worked as a security guard, their family income was not enough to support a budding cricketer. However, young Jadeja drew inspiration and support from his mother, who was his constant companion.When his mother passed away in 2005, Ravindra had been at the end of his wit and even considered giving up on cricket. But his sister and father continued to provide him monetary and emotional support, and Jaddu went on to be a part of the 2008 World-Cup winning India U-19 side, where he also served as the vice-captain. After having secured his place in the Indian team as a dependable all-rounder, he asked his father to retire and also bought a bungalow for his family. Jadeja’s story of hard work to reach the pedestal of fame that he stands at today is, indeed a glowing inspiration to many.4. Zaheer KhanZaheer Khan. (© PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP/Getty Images)When we speak about stalwart pacers to have played for India, we cannot help but name Zaheer Khan amongst the top brass. Zaheer is the only Indian pacer, apart from Kapil dev to have picked up more than 300 wickets in international cricket. As a young child, Zaheer was passionate about cricket and was eventually selected in the Mumbai Cricket Club, for which he had to leave his family and stay in Mumbai, with his aunt.He used to live in a small room in the hospital, where his aunt had been employed as a helper. More often than not, Zak went to practice without having any food and would sleep at night without a pillow or a blanket. However, his fortune took a turn for the better after his then coach got him a job with a steady salary of Rs. 5000 per month, and with this money, Zaheer was able to support his cricketing dreams.From there, there was only the rise and rise of Zaheer Khan! He led the Indian pace department for more than 15 years and is a name that’ll forever be etched in gold in Indian cricket.5. Ramesh PowarRamesh Powar. (Photo by DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images)Ramesh Powar was often ridiculed for his stocky built and even considered incapable of playing cricket by many critics. However, the off-spinner, who was a handy lower order batsman as well, battled all odds to make a mark in Indian cricket.Powar had a tough childhood as his mother passed away when he was very young. It was his sister who supported him all throughout his early playing days. He eventually went onto play for India in 2 Tests and 31 ODIs and picked up 6 and 34 wickets in the 2 formats, respectively. A popular incident involving the offie is that he travelled to the airport in an auto rickshaw while most of his Indian team-mates got off luxury cars.6. Yusuf Pathan and Irfan PathanIrfan Pathan. (Photo Source: ICC via Getty Images)The Pathan brothers are known to almost every modern cricket fan, owing to their astounding cricketing abilities. While Yusuf is famed for his power hitting, Irfan made his mark with his impeccable swing bowling. Both the brothers have been a part of historic moments in Indian cricket. But their childhood wasn’t all that rosy!The Pathan family initially had to live their days in a mosque, since they did not own a residence of their own. After a few years, they did move into a house of their own, but it only comprised a single room, where a family of five, including Yusuf, Irfan, their sister, brother and parents had to live.Yusuf Pathan of India. (Photo by Ritam Banerjee/Getty Images)They couldn’t afford proper cricketing gear as their father, who worked in the local mosque, earned a meagre monthly wage of Rs. 200-250. In an interview, their father revealed that Irfan used to borrow Rs.50 from him occasionally to buy second-hand shoes from a local Friday market, and patch them up for use, since they were unable to afford costly sports shoes.While Irfan was a part of the victorious Indian team in the World T20, 2007 and the Champions Trophy 2013; Yusuf lifted the 2011 World Cup trophy with the Men in Blue.7. Munaf PatelMunaf Patel of India. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)Hailing from the distant village, Ikhar of Gujarat, young Munaf Patel saw the grim face of poverty up close. While his father was employed as a labourer, Munaf himself contributed to his family’s earnings by working as a child labourer in a child factory, for which he was able to earn Rs. 35 per day. He was well-known in his village for his pace bowling, but being the victim of harsh circumstances, he didn’t have the amenities to practice cricket at a professional level. Deprived of standard cricketing equipment, he would play with tennis balls, while wearing chappals instead of spiked boots.He was well-known in his village for his pace bowling, but being the victim of harsh circumstances, he didn’t have the amenities to practice cricket at a professional level. Deprived of standard cricketing equipment, he would play with tennis balls, while wearing chappals instead of spiked boots.Life finally looked brighter for Patel when he was selected into the Baroda Club, and subsequently went on to be coached by the legendary fast bowler, Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Academy. It was at this academy that he was noticed by Australian great, Steve Waugh for his quick bowling and Waugh recommended the young talent to Sachin tendulkarBeating all odds, Patel made his debut for India in 2006 and went on to become a successful pacer for the nation. He was also a part of the 2011 World Cup winning Indian side, where he was the 3rd highest wicket-taker of the tournament, with 11 wickets to his name.8. Hardik PandyaHardik Pandya.Hardik Pandya’s name is one that every cricket enthusiast in India is well aware of right now. Be it his heroics in the final match against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy or his fearless knocks for his franchise, Mumbai Indians in the IPL, the young right-hander has made a niche for himself in a very short span of time. His life is the most surreal rags to riches story that one can come across.Hardik along with his brother, Krunal, had a common dream of playing cricket at the highest level. Not having been endowed with the good fortune of being rich, the brothers, along with their parents had to shift from Surat to Vadodara where their father was employed in various odd jobs, in an attempt to support his family. Matters worsened when their father suffered from multiple heart attacks, forcing the two brothers to play their hearts out at local tournaments, in order to earn extra cash to sustain their family.Hardik confessed in an interview that he and his brother often survived on a single helping of noodles throughout the day, playing one match after the other to earn money. Looking back at Hardik’s journey, it appears as a dream that was just meant to come true!9. Mohammed SirajMohammed Siraj. (Photo: IANS)Coming from a lower-middle-class household, 23-year-old Mohammed Siraj wouldn’t have imagined in the wildest of dreams that he’d stir up a storm in the player auction of IPL, 2017. His first income as a cricketer had been a mere Rs. 500 in a club match, where he had picked up 9 wickets for 20 odd runs in a 25-over game.It was his maternal uncle who had given him the money as a prize. Siraj credits his parents for having made innumerable sacrifices to provide him with the best cricketing facilities. In his own words, he “went numb” in front of his television set, when he raked in a staggering bid of Rs. 2.6 Crores from the Sunrisers Hyderabad team.10. Kedar JadhavIndia’s Kedar Jadhav.(Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)Indian middle-order batting sensation, Kedar Jadhav has risen from dire states to make a name for himself. He belonged to a small town, Madha in the Solapur district of Maharashtra and his father worked as a clerk in the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. Jadhav had three elder sisters who were extremely meritorious.However, the cricketer himself did not find his calling in his studies and dropped out of school after the ninth grade. From there, he gradually rose in the ranks by first playing in Maharashtra’s Ranji squad and then bagging hefty IPL pay packages for his stellar performances in domestic cricket.His fantasies finally turned into reality when he stepped on to the field in the Indian jersey. From then on, he has slammed 565 runs in 25 ODIs for the nation, with the highest score of 120 runs and has also come in handy as a right-arm offbreak bowler, having picked up 11 wickets in the proceedings.12. Thangarasu NatarajanT. Natarajan. (Photo Source: Sportstarlive)A boy, who grew up doing odd jobs like distributing newspapers or milk in order to boost his small family income, fought his way into under the limelight. Thangarasu Natarajan was bought by the Kings XI Punjab franchise in IPL 10 for a sum of Rs. 3 crores, making him the second-most expensive domestic but of the season.Son of a daily wage earner at a saree factory, with a small tea stall business on the side, T Natarajan played cricket only to get the cash prizes at local tennis ball tournaments. However, the universe saw to it that the young man’s talent did not go to waste! He was first selected in the renowned Jolly Rovers team of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association League and subsequently drafted into the state Ranji team in his 20s.Although he had to warm the benches for two years owing to suspected bowling action, it was only a minor bump in Natarajan’s career graph. Famous for his tight death over spells as a pacer, Natarajan’s story of success is nothing short of a miracle.13. Nathu SinghNathu Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)21-year old Nathu Singh was signed by the Mumbai Indians for a sum of Rs. 3.2 crores in the 9th edition of the IPL. Singh’s roots were submerged in poverty as he spent his childhood as the child of a factory worker in Rajasthan. When asked about those years, he said, “I mostly used to train alone by myself. I still remember the first time ever I asked my dad for money was to play cricket, to invest in a bat and ball. And I want to repay that money to my dad. I also took up odd jobs to buy cricket kits.”His dreams came true when he performed stupendously well with the pink ball in a Duleep Trophy game and became the only Indian bowler to claim 5 wickets. From here on, he caught the attention of the IPL team owners and was bought into the Mumbai side in and subsequently, the Gujarat Lions side in IPL 10. It isIt is from this struggle that Singh draws constant inspiration and in his own word, he describes it as, “I have all the images in my heart. Of poverty, of my struggling parents, of where I came from. Whenever I feel depressed, or even when I go out to play, I recall those images, and no matter where I go in life, those images will forever remain imprinted in me.The neo-cricket era looks at cricketers through a different perspective. Cricketers have become celebrities who are seen as glamour kings, who bedeck ...Here are 10 cricketers who have overcome struggles to reach the top:#1 Umesh YadavNagpur is an archaic region- a region where cars are still looked upon like space ships, where farmer suicides are daily affairs and where people dwell in room sized abodes. This town is India’s geographical centre.It is from this part of the world, arguably India’s fastest ever bowler hails. Hurling tennis bowls at express pace, Umesh Yadav spent his childhood playing no leather ball cricket. His father was a coal miner and the family lived in a settlement for coal miners. Life was tough. Breaking even was a luxury.Umesh Yadav could not pursue his education beyond class XII. Yadav’s father didn’t want his youngest son to end up as a coal miner, hence requested him to do something with his life. Umesh tried to join the army but was rebuffed. He then attempted to get into police service but missed it by a whisker.He had nothing else to do. All avenues in his life semed to have been closed. He would spend day in, day out bowling fast with the tennis ball.A victory for his team or a man of the match award would earn him 8-10, 000 Indian rupees, which would be adequate for a month or two. Realizing that tennis ball cricket would not earn him much, he tried to take up leather ball cricket. An attempt to get into his college cricket team became a failure since he played no club cricket.So he joined the Vidarbha Gymkhana. He bowled with shoes sans spikes and got 3 for 37. Soon, words about a rookie, raw paced bowler started doing rounds around the Vidarbha Cricket Association. A cinematic, fairy tale ascend began, and Yadav whistled up the rungs.AdvertisementWithin months of playing with a leather ball, Yadav made his first-class debut. He rose like a rocket off its launch pad.In the Duleep Trophy that followed the fast bowler picked up a five-for which included the wickets of Dravid and Laxman.The seamer had an athletic body. He was burly and had a shoulder girdle- a rarity among Indian pacers. His express pace and lethal yorkers soon earned him a berth in the Indian line up.A son of a coal miner was soon bought by Delhi Daredevils for $30, 000 in 2008. He made his ODI debut in 2010 and test debut in 2011. Being the country’s fastest bowler Umesh Yadav would be one of India’s key weapons in its arsenal going into the world cup in Australia and New Zealand.Yousuf2 Akila DananjayaIf you think that life won’t change overnight, then this lad will prove you wrong. Akila Dananjaya- when this unknown 18-year old’s name appeared in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2012 WT20, Sri Lanka was taken aback. Some said politics has played a role. Others believed money was doing the talking. The remainder thought it was a genuine mistake.How on earth could a teenager, who has played no first class matches, no list A matches and no under 19 matches be named for an even as big as WT20? Unlike other wunderkinds of Sri Lanka, he didn’t come from the elite schools of the island. In fact he played for an unknown school called Mahanama Vidyalaya, in Panandura- a suburb of Colombo. He played in tier three in school cricket, a tier that mostly goes unnoticed.So what made him to be fast-tracked into the highest level? Dananjaya was a son of a carpenter. He had been brought in for a practice session to emulate Saeed Ajmal’s doosras.AdvertisementBut what the youngster did was to bamboozle the country’s leading player of spin with a spree of off breaks, leg breaks, googlies, carrom balls and all the other variations a spin bowler could bowl. Soon the team that was in the middle of a practice session spoke of nothing but Akila Dananjaya.Mahela Jayawardane, the batsman who faced Akila, soon fast-tracked him into the national setup. With a strong performance in the now defunct SLPL, Akila Danajaya made his T20I debut for Sri Lanka against New Zealand in the 2012 WT20.In his very first match, he was struck on the face by a full blooded drive from Rob Nicol, which broke the teenager’s cheek bone. With a broken face and blood ozzing through the eye socket, the spunky rookie came bacn and bowled all four of his overs and picked up 2 for 32, the best figures in that innings.A boy who spent midnights collecting discarded cricket balls in cricket grounds in the village of Panadura, is now the heathrob of his village.#3 Raymond PriceRay Price hails from a country of turmoil. The left arm spinner from Zimbabwe who was once the leading bowler in the world was born fighting.At birth, the odds of him surviving was just 25%. He lost his hearing ability to menigitis but later a surgery restored his hearing. But the effect of the disease reflected badly on his coordination skills as a child.When he started playing for Zimbabwe, Price was considered useless and was forced to leave cricket in 2004 as a part of the massive influx that shook Zimabawe Cricket.Before becoming a professional cricketer, the left-armer was involved in a lot of menial jobs. He repaired air conditioners and cleaned toilets to win bread for his family.He made a return to Zimbabwe cricket when he was at the wrong end of 30s and used his guile to spin webs around the opposition batsmen. He together with Utseya became two leading bowlers in world cricket.#4 Kamran KhanBollywood is known for its out of the world logic and unrealistic proceedings. The protagonist from being a mendicant would turn into a millionaire in the space of a 5 minute song.Albeit, these gimmicks seem farfetched, the land continues to prove its bollywoodish stories with a preponderant number of incredibly astonishing tales of soaring personalities. Let it be Satyam Nadella’s ascension to the helm of Microsoft or Kalpana Chawla’s rise to the space, India keeps proving that cinematic events do happen in real lives.In cricket, of course, there is a story of cricketer that is worth making a movie on. Kamran Khan, a left arm slingy express bowler who played fro Rajasthan in 2009, rose from near oblivion and became an overnight star.AdvertisementHe was from a family of wood cutters which gifted him with strong shoulders. He lived his life in poverty. With just a pair of white cricket kits, he commuted between Kanpur and Lucknow for trials.He didn’t have a place to sleep, and hence, would spend his nights in the railway stations. Though he had the pace that could trouble batsmen of all calibre, he didn’t have enough money to exhibit to people who matter.But luck greeted him with glee, when Rajasthan’s director of coaching spotted him in a T20 tourney in Mumbai. Soon the 18 year old was handed over a contract of $24,000.Had that money reached his hands two years earlier, he would not have lost his mother, he admitted later. For a boy sleeping on the rugged railway platforms, five star hotel luxury beds were5 Mohammad YousufMohammad Yousuf aka Yousuf Yohana, is aruguably one of Pakistan’s most technically sound batsmen.With his exquiste timing, high back lift and delayed shots, the Pakistani batting supremo have earned a lot fans. But a very few us actually have paid heed to his darker younger life.Yousuf was born in the Hindu caste of Balmiki, who were considered untouchables. The ruthlessness of the caste system forced his family to convert to Christianity. Though the conversion brought the family some recognition, it failed to improve their dire economy.AdvertisementYousuf’s father was a worker in a railway station and the family lived in a railway colony. The financial frailty of his family didn’t allow the Pakistani batsman to possess a bat. He used wooden planks of outlandish shapes to strike tape balls. Yousuf was spotted by the Golden Gymkhana but his circumstances dictated terms and he gave up the hope of playing for Pakistan.He wanted to join an organisation with a first-class team, which will be the dual solution for his need to earn and thirst for cricket. But when money became the primary need, he gave up cricket in 1994. He tried to earn some pennies driving Rickshaws.The pendulam swung; A local club had a paucity for players. Hence, Yousuf was stopped short of working for a tailor’s shop and was roped into the team as a makeweight. Someone who was expected to make up numbers ended up scoring a century.When he began his first class career, Lahore rejected him both due to his background and religious faith. But his cricketing dexerity trnscended all social distinctions and Yousuf became Pakistan’s fourth Christian cricketer.6 Manoj TiwaryThe young aggressive batsman from India who has earned the monicker "India's Kevin Pietersen" for his penchant for hitting balls to the midwicket boundary is yet another Indian who defied fate and refused to bow down in the face of adversity.Tiwary proved the conviction that cricket is a rich man's sport wrong. He was a son of a railway officer. The Indian right handed was born in a family of five, in Kolkata. His father could not fend for the family let alone spend for his cricket expenses.However, Tiwary was obstinately glued to the love of his life. His passionate infatuation with cricket finally paved the way for him to break grounds. His brother Raj Kumar Tiwary, realizing the inherent talents of his younger brother, finally obtained loans to send him to the local club.He made his Ranji trophy debut in 2005 and captained India's U19 team. He is much known for his innings in the final of IPL 2012, when he diligently finished an exhilarating run chase for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.#7 Mohammad IrfanThe 7 foot 1 inch tall Pakistani seamer, didn’t want his height to go to waste, but was unsure how it can be materialized. His eternal quest came to an end when he found an exceptional bowler within himself.Irfan, the tallest cricketer ever, was born into a poor family of a lower class. He could complete only his secondary education and joined a PVC factory to earn a living. Although, he was an avid cricketer, fear of losing his livelihood never allowed the giant bowler to concentrate on cricket.As every South Asian, he started with a tennis ball and later parlayed his exploits onto a hard ball cricket. He says that he played for his village club wearing Shalwar Kameez and school shoes since he could not afford proper kits.AdvertisementIt took 5 years for the Pakistan Cricket Board to reckon his talent as it is the case with all talents from smaller towns. However, his cricket future became rest assured after he made his first class debut.His performances in the first class fixtures of Pakistan in 2009 was extremely impressive and soon a contract from KKR flew his way. However, IPL’s aversion to Pakistan dissuaded a contract being signed between Irfan and KKR.8 Pathan brothersIrfan and Yusuf Pathan of India have both set the stadiums on fire on more than one occasion. But the best would be when both of them put together a partnership to take India home against Sri Lanka in the first T20I in the island.Irfan Pathan is a seam bowling all-rounder who is popular for his banana swing into right handers. His brother Yusuf Pathan is leather ball marauder who hits the ball a mile. Despite their on-field exploits being affluent, both of them were born in an impoverished family.Their father was a muezzin, someone who calls for prayers in a mosque. The Pathan brothers were so adhered to the game that their cricket had no bounds. His father often had to apologize to the worshippers for the intrusion caused by their cricket inside the mosque.AdvertisementEven though their father wanted them to become Islamic scholars their lust for cricket won the battle.Irfan Pathan made his debut for India in 2003. In 2006, he became the only bowler in history to take a hat-trick in the very first over of a test match. His prodigious swing made him to be compared to the likes of Wasim Akram and later with his improved batting forged a comparison between him and Kapil Dev.Yusuf, on the other hand. is a ball basher. He has two ODI hundreds and and some useful wickets with his smart off breaks.9 Dinesh ChandimalChandimal has had a roller coaster ride for Sri Lanka.From being a chucker for Dharmasoka College, he got a scholarship to play for Ananda College- one of Sri Lanka’s leading schools, captained his school’s first XI- the only student to do so after getting a scholarship, broke a school record that had stood for 40 years, was asked to join the NCC by Kumar Sangakkara, made a century at Lord’s, scored twin fifties in his test debut at Durban, was made the vice-captain of both Sri Lanka’s test and ODI teams, was made the captain of the T20 side, played in the 2014 WT20 as captain, then dropped himself midway through the tournament, was later axed from the helm and was finally dropped from the team.Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal, the man with a cherubic smile brought in what Mahela as a school kid dished out to cricket fans in the 90s. He was a prodigy who made his willow break records.AdvertisementChandimal started his cricket career at Dharmashoka Vidyalaya as an off spinner. After playing two games, he was found to be a chucker and was barred from bowling. His coach threw the keeping gloves at him and he held on to them firmly. Until 17, it was his skills behind the stumps that earned him a spot in the first XI. Before long, his batting improved and he earned a scholarship to Ananda College.But fate spun a plight around his life in the form of the boxing day Tsunami. The monster wave that struck the island in 2004, took his home, his cricket kits and everything else the family had along with it. Chandimal’s family was left wretched. Instead of lamenting over what has come to pass, the family relished the fact that it didn’t suffer any casualties.In Ananda, he became the captain of the side and went on to win 12 outright games for his school, the first such occurrence in Sri Lanka’s school history.His test debut incidentally came on the boxing day of 2011, exactly 7 years after the waves wrecked havoc with his family. Braving the venomous pace of the South Africans, Chandimal put the lessons of the tsunami into good effect showing gritty tenacity in helping Sri Lanka win their first test on the Proteas soil.10 Pulina TharangaThe Sri Lankan leg spinner’s tale is poignant and utterly devastating. The giant waves that destroyed most parts of South Asia in 2004, leaving indelible marks in the history of the nations sharing the Bengal Sea, didn’t fail to scar Pulina Tharanga’s life.As with all Sri Lankans, cricket was in his genes. He was born to a fishing family in the south coast of Sri Lanka in a poverty stricken village.Pulina wanted to play cricket but his parents eschewed him from pursuing his dreams since the family could not afford the expensive cricket equipment. But he furtively started playing cricket without any protective gears and earned his wing into the under eleven team.AdvertisementWhile his parents did extra jobs in addition to fishing to feed the family, Pulina continued playing cricket surreptitiously.At the dawn of 26th of December, 2004, Tharanga left for school to inform his coach of the leg injury he had sustained. The coach asked him not to go back home since there was a deluge in the village.The youngster didn’t pay much attention since the village getting flooded during high tides was a norm. He stayed at his friend's house and his brother came to pick him. On returning to the infernal wreckage of his village, he asked his brother as to where their mom was. “The sea has taken her away” came the answer. The sea that fed his family had now preyed upon his mother and the entire village. The fishing village was no more, his family’s livelihood was now a part of the history.Aged eleven, Tharanga was too obstinate and persistent to give up on his dreams.AdvertisementHe sought the help of Foundation of Goodness, a trust run by Murali, to help him materialize his dream. As a result, he got his first cricket gears and kits. But tragedy had found Pulina to be an excellent companion. Soon, the Lankan lad lost his father at sea. Having been orphaned in his teenage years, Pulina was too strong to be lamenting the loss he had incurred.Kushil Gunasekara, became Tharanga’s mentor, but he was reluctant to ask his mentor for money. On seeing Pulina’s unyielding love for cricket his grandmother paid for his cricketing expenses.His talent measured him up to play for Tamil Union Club. It was during that time a chance to play for Sri Lanka’s under 19 team came calling. In the trial match, Pulina scored 70 and picked up 4 wickets with his leg breaks.He became a part of the U19 squad to Australia for the world cup. Even though, Sri Lanka failed to make it to the top eight, Tharanga earned encomium from Sangakkara for an innings he played against South Africa.Tharanga walking in at Sri Lanka 68/6, made a fighting unbeaten 50 to take his team to a respectable total. His innings was a microcosm of his resilient character, the character that was moulded by monster waves, tragedies and poverty.Tharanga now makes 2000 Sri Lankan Rupees per first class game and returns them intact to his loving grandmother who helped resuscitate his cricket career. He still lives by his granny’s wise words, “Never ever play cricket for money.”CREDIT-Fauzan Fahad