Born in a poor family in Tirupur, a differently-abled youth has made a record by getting a place in the Indian cricket team for the differently-abled.
Sakul Hameed (22), the last son of Mohammad Adam and Rajia Begum from Agrahara Budhur near Mangalam near Tirupur, is a 70 percent amputee due to his right hand defect (LD) and has been playing in the Tamil Nadu Handicapped cricket team since 2021. In this situation, he has represented the Indian team in the 2-series T20 tournament held in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, from June 10 to 12.
Cricketer Sakulhameedu said: Born in a small village near Mangalam in Tirupur district, I completed a one-year course in sewing technology at Tirupur Government Vocational Training Center in 2018. I have been interested in cricket since my childhood.
Selection in Tamil Nadu Team: In the year 2020, the selection for Tamil Nadu Disabled Cricket Team was held in Theni. In this, by scoring a half-century in 3 matches in the Tamil Nadu team, Arun Rashid, secretary of the Indian disabled team, also came to watch this match. Based on my good performance in this match, I was selected for 3 T20 matches between India and Nepal cricket teams. In this, I scored 54 runs off 51 balls in the second match while playing the first two matches. In this series, the Indian team won the first two matches and won the series by 2-1. All 3 of us who played from the Tamil Nadu team performed well in these two matches. I also got the best fielder of the series award.
Following this, a 3-match T20 series between Tamil Nadu Disabled Team and Uttar Prasedam Disabled Team was held at Jainarayan College, Kashi on November 26 and 27. I have taken 7 wickets along with 60 runs in these three matches. However, the Uttar Pradesh team won by 2-1.
Cricket team players including Chakulhameedu
Funding by Private Institution: When I was selected in the Indian team for the Nepal series, I was gifted a hat, shoes and a kit bag on behalf of a private company. Also, Mangala panchayat president S.M.P. Murthy has provided financial support and assistance in transportation. Similarly, the school gate administrators in our town are also providing me with the necessary help.
I have been playing as a left-arm opener and a left-arm medium pace bowler in the Tamil Nadu Disabled Cricket Team since 2020. Earlier in 2021 playing for a league club team in Erode I scored 101 off 74 balls in a 25 over match. So I will participate in the upcoming league matches as well.
Govt should provide jobs and wages to alternative cricketers too. As Supervisor in Waste Cotton at Tirupur Nallur Rs. I am working on a salary of 15 thousand. Having played for the Tamil Nadu team and the Indian team, no player like us has received any concession from the central and state governments till now. At the same time, while going to foreign series, the government is providing only assistance in the form of ticket cost and travel expenses. All the heroes who play in the Tamil Nadu differently-abled team are not playing cricket but going to work to save their families. In this, for example, I can save my family only if I go to work. Mohammad Ismail, the owner of the godown I work with, asks for two weeks off to go play cricket. Sakul Hameedhu expressed his hope that if the government provides benefits such as jobs and wages to differently-abled people like us who play for the Tamil Nadu team and the Indian team, we will be able to play better cricket for the country.