Ireland player Simi Singh, first cricketer to score ODI century batting at No 8, has India connect
Disappointed that his career as a cricketer had not progressed anywhere, 18-year-old Simranjit Singh, aka Simi Singh, from Mohali, Punjab, packed his bags in Ireland in 2005 to take up hotel management.
Very little did Simi know that destiny had something else in store for him, as cricket followed him to Ireland as well. He came to know that he could pursue his cricket and academics simultaneously. So, in 2006, he joined Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin as a professional.
Cut to the present; life came full circle for the Mohali-born cricketer. He scored his maiden international century against South Africa at the same ground where his cricketing journey in Ireland began.
“It was really an emotional knock. After completing my century, at that moment, I saw my entire journey in a flashback. Scoring a century at this ground, where it all started, is going to stay forever with me,” Simi Singh told IndiaToday.In from Dublin.
Mohali lad Simi Singh rocking Ireland cricket with flamboyant all-round show“The most satisfying thing about the knock was that it came against the likes of Nortje (Anrich), Shamsi (Tabraiz), and Maharaj (Keshav), a top-class South African attack. On top of it, my strike rate was also good,” added Singh.
Interestingly, one of Simi’s Irish teammate, Harry Tector, was his student when he used to be a coach at the YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin.
The milestone man
Simi Singh scored an unbeaten 100 against South Africa in the third ODI at Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin. However, Simi’s effort wasn’t enough as South Africa overpowered Ireland by 70 runs to end the series at 1-1.
However, Simi Singh made a record as he became the first-ever cricketer to score an ODI century batting at No 8 or lower. He surpassed England’s Sam Curran, who scored a valiant 95 against India in Pune earlier this year.
Simi has played 30 ODIs and 24 T20Is for Ireland since making his international debut in 2017 against New Zealand.
Earlier this year, in February against UAE, Simi scripted another world record. The all-rounder scored a brisk 54 not out, then delivered one of the most economical five-wicket hauls in ODI history. Simi’s 5 for 10 was the fifth-most economical five-wicket haul in ODI history. The top four in the list are — West Indies’ Courtney Walsh (5 for 1 against Sri Lanka in 1986), the Indian duo of Sunil Joshi (5 for 6 against South Africa in 1999), and Stuart Binny (6 for 4 against Bangladesh in 2014), followed by Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralidharan (5 for 9 against New Zealand in 2002).
Simi Singh, the batsman
Simi, who has represented Punjab successfully at the U-14 and U-17 level, was known for his batting. In 2004, he scored 725 runs in the state inter-district U-17 championship. He was even named the best player at the 46th National School Games held in Vijayawada in 2001.
Despite being a consistent performer, Simi failed to make the cut at the U-19 level for Punjab.
Before Thursday, Simi had only one half-century each in the ODIs and T20I cricket. He was in the team for his off-spin bowling. Interestingly, in his early days, he used to be a part-time bowler.
“I have started to give myself more time. For example, when I came to the crease in the third ODI, we were 92 for 6. So I took my time to settle down and then started playing my natural game,” said Singh.
After his brilliant innings, Simi is hopeful that in the T20I series against South Africa, starting from July 19, the team management will promote him a bit higher.
“Hopefully, I will get to bat a bit higher in the coming matches,” he said.
From Mohali to Dublin
It has not been all hunky-dory for him in Ireland. With strict residency rules in place, Simi’s ECB Level 2 coaching degree and being a certified personal trainer helped him stay afloat in Ireland.
Juggling with work and cricket, Simi even worked at a grocery store so that he could afford to pay to play cricket, because to play every weekend at Malahide Cricket Club; one had to pay five euros per game.
“When I look back, it inspires me to excel more. Those are the days I still cherish the most,” reminisces Simi.
For over 12 years, Simi would toil hard, amass runs and take wickets in Ireland domestic cricket till he got Irish citizenship in May 2017 and became eligible to play for Ireland.
Simi, who started bowling off-spin after seeing the videos of Saqlain Mushtaq, went on to take 56 wickets in the Leinster Senior Cup the first-division tournament in Ireland — for the club in 2013. He also scored 786 runs in the club’s title win.
On Ireland cricket
Ireland cricket team has always punched above their weight. They have never been pushovers. Be it their historic World Cup triumphs against Pakistan in 2007 and their arch-rival England in the 2011 edition, or most recently, they defeated South Africa by 43 runs in the second ODI.
However, one thing Ireland lacked was consistency. But Simi feels the current crop of Irish cricketers will be more successful, and he pointed out few reasons to back his argument.
“Our fielding standard has gone up. In the ODI series, we even fielded better than South Africa. There’s more focus on fitness.
“We are playing consistently against the top teams, and it certainly has helped. There’s no fear factor in this team. We don’t get awed by opponents anymore.
“Lastly, Ireland is not just dependent upon one cricketer. This team is not dependent on the likes of Paul Sterling or Kevin O’Brien,” said Simi.
After the South Africa series, Ireland will play a white-ball series against Zimbabwe, starting August 6. Ireland will play three ODIs and 5 T20Is against Zimbabwe.
