5 sons of great cricketers who are ready to follow their fathers' footsteps
Much like other sports, cricket has witnessed its fair share of dynasties – the Hearnes, the Headleys, the Mohammads, the Hadlees, Khans and Bracewells - all of whom boast of at least 3 players who have donned the national cap in Test cricket. Recent sensations include the sons of Geoff Marsh and that of Roger Binny.
While Mitchell has already sealed his spot in the national team and Shaun has been in the reckoning for quite some time now, Stuart Binny has already had his bite at the coveted apple and has been in and out of the team courtesy his inconsistent performances.
In this article, I focus on the young juniors of great cricketers who look set to follow their fathers’ footsteps and make it as big as their previous generations did.
1. Tagenarine Chanderpaul
The single unique feature that sets aside Shivnarine Chanderpaul from all those who have graced the willow in the history of the game is his idiosyncratic stance at the crease. While it is safe to say that West Indies’ most capped Test player and one of the latest entries into the 10.000 Test runs club has had his fair share of international cricket, it remains to be seen whether his son Tagenarine succeeds in continuing his legacy.
Although not the stance, there exist several traits of the senior Chanderpaul’s batting in that of his son Tagenarine’s. It’s not quite inconceivable, considering the fact that his initiation to the game began at the hands of grandfather Khemraj who persuaded the then six-year-old to undergo similar gruels as his father on the same concrete strip at the nets under the house which still bears the marks of Shivnarine’s training in the 1970s.
On the field, Tagenarine is a dogged left-hander, patient and persisting, firmly rooted to his crease without giving so much a hint of throwing away his wicket. He is barely 19, but his cricketing outlook consciously reminds one of the many qualities that helped his father hold the West Indies middle-order together for years after Brian Lara’s retirement.
His lean, tall frame is similar to that of his 20-year-old father debuting against England in 1994. The shyness in front of the camera speaks a word or two about his reticent genes. He debuted for Guyana at 16, only one year younger than what his father had been while playing his first regional match in 1992.
Turning up for Guyana against Trinidad & Tobago in March 2013, they became the only second West Indies father-son duo to play first-class cricket together. Months later, Shivnarine’s Derbyshire team went head to head against Stainsby Hall Cricket Club represented by Tagenarine.
Although not an established figure in the domestic circuit, the 19-year old southpaw has already impressed many with his exploits at the Under-19 World Cup in UAE last year. The unbeaten 84 against Zimbabwe remains the highlight of his career, not because it helped his team to a 167-run thrashing, but for the reason that it came off 135 balls spanning over three hours – a resemblance to Shivranarine’s brand that cannot be overlooked.
2. Tom Healy
The iconic name of Ian Healy is etched forever in golden letters in the annals of wicketkeeping history of the game. Not only had the Australian legend been the best glovesman of his time, but he has also served as an embodiment of traditional gloves work and an inspiration to countless cricketers taking up wicketkeeping.
Having played the last of his 119 Tests when his son was only three, Ian has now reserved himself to a family life which includes nurturing the talent of a promising cricketer in Tom Healy. Although awed by his father, Healy Jr. knows it’s up to him to create his mark in the sport, much like his cousin Alyssa who has been involved with the women’s international team for a number of years.
Deciding to follow his father’s path as a wicketkeeper, was invariably going to earn him comparisons and even at 18 years of age, the right-hander is not totally unaware of it. Cricket, however, had happened to the 18-year-old Brisbane boy by accident.
Always a handy golfer, Tom had found himself donning the gloves in junior school when they were rotating various roles. Countless hours of practice at the garage and in the backyard under the vigilant eyes of his father ensured that his technique improved by several folds.
Tom’s big break, however, was the call-up for Australia’s Under-19 tour of Sri Lanka last year, followed by the Under-19 ODI series against England this April. Surprisingly, three decades ago, it had been his father Ian Healy who had been a part of Australia’s Under-19 team in 1983 while working at Brisbane’s Greg Chappell Cricket Centre.