Auqib Nabi got his first call-up for the Indian national cricket team's Test side
The right-arm pacer made history as the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn a maiden Test call-up
His friend Zubair Dar played a crucial role which kickstarted Nabi's career
While preparing for his Class 12 board examinations with bio-science as his core stream, a teenage Auqib Nabi received a major opportunity: an invitation to attend a BCCI pace bowling camp mentored by legendary Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath to learn the finer nuances of the craft.
His father, Ghulam Nabi Dar—a school teacher who firmly believed that education should always come first—was strongly opposed to his son putting academics on hold for cricket.
Dar eventually relented, a pivotal choice that completely reshaped Nabi's career path. Nearly 13 years later, the right-arm fast bowler has made history by becoming the first player from Jammu and Kashmir selected for an India Test squad, earning his maiden call-up for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka following an outstanding domestic campaign.
"His father was dead against him attending the camp organized by BCCI despite McGrath being the coach. He told me that he should instead focus on studies and prepare for his medical entrance test. I had to convince him that Auqib can't miss this opportunity to train under McGrath," Zubair Dar, Nabi's first club captain, recollected the incident still etched in his memory.
A close friend of Nabi, Zubair gives a lot of credit to his father for understanding where his son's passion was.
"Once I was able to convince his dad, he said that he won't allow Auqib to travel by train from Srinagar to Chennai by train. He arranged for Rs 10,000, quite a sum for a government school teacher and told Auqib to take a flight. A few months back when Auqib got a record deal in IPL, his father recollected that how I had convinced him back then," Zubair said, a touch emotional as memories kept flooding in.
For Zubair, the best part about Auqib is that success and fame hasn't changed him one bit.
"He is a man who believes in minding his own business, talks very less and hasn't changed one bit in all these years. Even before leaving for IPL camp, he suddenly dropped in at my residence. This is a result of his hardwork for all these years," Zubair said.
Hailing from Sheeri village, which is eight kilometres from main Baramulla town, it was Auqib's simplicity that caught Zubair's attention.
"He was around 14 when he played for an opposition team against our club Baramulla Cricket Club (BCC). He bowled well and nearly won the match for his team with a 50-run knock. I asked him after the match if he would like to join our club. He asked: "Brother do I need to pay money to play?' I was bowled over by his innocence," Zubair laughed.
In fact, talking about Auqib, Zubair is a treasure trove of stories.
"In Kashmir, at that time, there was only one turf wicket and that was in Srinagar's Sher-e-Kashmir stadium. We had a district match there and as we entered the stadium, Auqib said, 'brother I couldn't sleep the whole night thinking that I will play at Sher-e-Kashmir ground'," he remembered.
The start however couldn't have been more embarrassing.
"The first ball he bowled, he skidded on the popping crease and slid to the middle of the 22 yards. We all came running and saw he was wearing sneakers. He didn't know he had to wear bowling spikes. So our senior bowler at other end would complete his over and hand him his spikes."
That Auqib was simpleton to the point of being naive was understood that once he attended two separate camps organised by two warring JKCA factions in a single day.
"He first bowled at Shere-e-Kashmir in one of the faction's camps. Then he went to University ground and bowled at the other faction's camp. When I came to know, I was terrified and asked him how could he do it. He said an official of one of the factions said, he could play Ranji Trophy. But that was Auqib and his innocence for you." Zubair thanked former skipper Parvez Rasool and star India all-rounder Irfan Pathan for helping him a lot during formative years at first class level.
"Irfan sir had played a massive role in Auqib's rise and Parvez bhai when he was the captain at the beginning of his career gave him a lot of exposure," Zubair said.
However the kind of person Auqib is could be gauged by how he speaks about his peers.
"When he didn't make the squad for Afghanistan series, a lot of people around him asked why and he replied, 'Those who got chance to play are equally good. I will also get my chance'. That tells you about his attitude which always remains positive," Zubair concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
