25 வயதான Zafar Ansari கடந்த 4 மாதங்களாக இங்கிலாந்து அணியில் இடம்பிடித்துள்ளார். 3 டெஸ்ட் போட்டிகளில் மட்டுமே விளையாடியுள்ளார். தனது 3வது போட்டி முடிவுடன் தான் கிரிக்கெட்டிலிருந்து ஓய்வு பெறப்போவதாக அறிவித்த அவர், தொடர்ந்து சட்ட வல்லுநராகப் பணியாற்றப்போவதாகத் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
He can be seen at times reading a novel when the rest of our boys are colouring in a book Alec Stewart, Surrey director of cricket
Zafar Ansari கேம்ப்ரிட்ஜ் பல்கலைக்கழகத்திலிருந்து அரசியல், தத்துவம் மற்றும் சமூகவியல் ஆகியவற்றில் முதல் தரத்தில் பட்டம் பெற்றுள்ளார். அத்துடன் மட்டுமன்றி Royal Holloway ல் வரலாற்றுத்துறையில் Master's degree பட்டமும் பெற்றுள்ளார். எனவே அவருக்கு இடது கை சுழற் பந்து வீச்சைவிட அதற்கப்பால் பிரகாசமான எதிர்காலம் இருப்பதாக உணர்வதில் வியப்பொன்றும் இல்லை.
Ansari took five wickets in three Tests and made his debut in Dhaka back in October when England suffered their first ever defeat to Bangladesh. He played the first two Tests of the India series but struggled with illness during his final game and faded from sight. A back injury eventually cut short his tour.
Time spent in hotel rooms surrounded by heavy security, combined with the pressure of performance, makes touring a tough life for some and Ansari admitted he struggled at times in India with the whole package of being an international cricketer. The fact his life did not revolve around cricket, unlike many of his team-mates, perhaps left him wondering if it was all worth while.
"When you dedicate so much of your time to something and you are known for that thing it is difficult to say 'well you know cricket is just a hobby or something I do for fun'," he told the BBC. "Balancing that reality with what I tried to bring to it and in terms of appreciating its insignificance in a broader way."
Ansari had different interests from his team-mates but he was not unpopular on tour, he was just happier reading for his 40,000 word Phd dissertation than joining in the PlayStation competitions.
"He can be seen at times reading a novel when the rest of our boys are colouring in a book. That is how it is," said Stewart.
Ansari suffered his share of bad luck. He was called up for the tour to Pakistan in 2015 but suffered a horrible thumb injury only hours after learning of his selection and missed the trip. He was then thrown into an India tour, the toughest of all for a fairly inexperienced English county spin bowler.
His batting improved when he was promoted to opener two years ago by Surrey and he fitted the bill for an England side looking for a spinner who could bat. But he burst onto the scene as a bowler with Alastair Cook his maiden first-class wicket and in his third match took 5-33, including the wicket of Kevin Pietersen.
