Meet Mahinder Pal Singh, Pakistan's first Sikh cricketer in National Cricket Academy

Mahinder Pal Singh has become the first Sikh cricketer to be picked in Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy (NCA). The 21-year old found a place in a fast bowlers camp organized by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

He was selected for the emerging players camp held in Multan under PCB’s tutelage. Although the seamer lives in the Nankana Sahib district of Pakistan’s Punjab province, he originally hails from the war-torn Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Mahinder Pal said, “I am the first youth from Pakistan’s Sikh community to be selected to the National Cricket Academy. I am proud and will represent the whole Sikh community of Pakistan. My wish in the coming years is that if I get a chance, I will make Pakistan proud.”

He added, “In this moment of happiness, I wish to thank all my coaches and PCB Chairman (Shaharyar Khan). The blessings of the Sikh Community and the whole of Pakistan has taken me to this stage, and I am hopeful of continuing my hard work and make Pakistan proud.”

A student of Pharmacy in Punjab University, Mahinder Pal used to play for several local clubs before working at an academy in the Mughulpura town of Lahore. Interestingly, his father was also a fast bowler who had dreams of playing cricket for Pakistan. However, due to various reasons, he could not make it and instead moved to Nankana Sahib to open a business venture.

According to Mahinder’s own admission, there is no viable ground in Nankana Sahib. As a result, he would often play in Gurudwara’s yard. But, that did not deter him from start chasing his dream.

He felt, “It would be lovely to become the first Sikh in Pakistan to play for the national team but right now my dream is to first play first class cricket and showcase my talent. I am learning everyday as there is so much cricket shown on television nowadays.”

Not surprisingly, his role-models are Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. Among batsmen, he has enjoyed watching Sachin Tendulkar in action.

Pakistan is a Muslim-majority country and have fielded very few players belonging to other faiths. Some of those include Anil Dalpat, Yousuf Youhana (before converting to Mohammed Yousuf) and Danish Kaneria.

When he dropped by to inaugurate the Multan high-performance center, PCB Chief Shaharyar Khan spent some time with Mahinder Pal and gave him some words of encouragement. Having broken into the list of top 30 emerging cricketers in Pakistan, his journey has well and truly taken flight.