The unpredictable Englishman suffered his first career defeat in May when Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era
sports2 days ago
Apart from their jaw-dropping brilliance in international cricket, Brian Lara, Brendon McCullum, Dale Steyn and Rashid Khan also have something else in common.
All these four world-famous cricketers have fallen to the guile of Dubai's Freddy Sidhwa.
A successful businessman and an evergreen cricket enthusiast, Sidhwa tosses the ball and gets it to drift and turn with a classical left-arm spinner's action.
It's not uncommon for a spinner at any level of cricket to beat a batsman in flight.
But at 81, Sidhwa is not just any other spinner.
This octogenarian recently flew back from England where he played under the captaincy of Kevin Pietersen in the JP Morgan International Cricket Cup, a community event which takes place every year at the Lord's Cricket Ground.
The game may have gone through a myriad changes over the years, but Lord's has remained Lord's, a ground steeped in alluring history that is still holding sway over the cricket-loving world.
Sidhwa gleams with pride when he remembers his Lord's heroics at his very own Ocean Fair Cricket Ground, a wonderful cricket facility he built in the Dubai Investment Park.
A lush green outfield and trees lining the boundary greet you as you step on his ground where he still plays every weekend.
It's the hours spent on this ground that keep him game-ready for the JP Morgan-organised community cricket tournament at Lord's.
"I have been a fortunate man who has played the JP Morgan event at Lord's, not once or twice, but 10 times. This year I have completed a decade of playing at the Lord's," Sidhwa told the Khaleej Times, after bowling a few overs for his team, Ocean Fair International, in a T20 match.
"Every year, some of the biggest names play this tournament with fans like us. These big names share the same dressing room and the famous Long Room where you have your dinner and breakfast. It's a surreal feeling to be at the Lord's with these people."
Was he able to keep his feet on the ground after getting the wicket of Brendon McCullum, the swashbuckling Kiwi legend?
"Yeah, that was an amazing moment. I think that match was in 2016. I remember he was batting very well and hit a lot of sixes. He hit me for a six as well. The next ball again he wanted to hit me, but I got him out," Sidhwa recalled.
"He was disheartened, of course. That match was one of the last matches he played as a cricketer at any level."
While Sidhwa also earned the scalp of Afghan superstar Rashid Khan, it's the legendary South African fast bowler Dale Steyn who left an indelible mark on him.
Sidhwa had Steyn caught in the covers by his son, Shahvir, who also plays cricket at a decent level, during one of those matches at the JP Morgan event.
"Graeme Swann (former England off-spinner) was my captain. The very first ball, he (Steyn) tried to hit me through the covers, but he played in the air and Shahvir took the catch," Sidhwa smiled.
Even Steyn was moved by Sidhwa's passion for the sport.
"Dear Freddy, you are the definition of the spirit of cricket," Steyn wrote as he signed an autograph for Sidhwa on a cricket bat at the Lord's Long Room, a few hours after falling prey to his left-arm spin.
If not for a friendly suggestion from Tariq Butt, a veteran UAE-based Pakistani umpire, Sidhwa would have never tried his hand at left-arm spin.
"I played as a wicketkeeper-batsman in Bombay (now Mumbai) before I moved to Dubai in 1974. I continued as a keeper when I started playing here. But once Tariq Butt asked me to bowl during a match, my life as a part-time cricketer changed forever," he said.
Sidhwa took three wickets in the first game as a spinner and won the match for his team from a seemingly hopeless position.
He went on to take hundreds of wickets at club level in Dubai.
But denying a certain Brian Charles Lara an opportunity to complete a hundred is perhaps the greatest cricketing accomplishment of Sidhwa.
"Yes, I did get him. But that was in Dubai, not at Lord's," he said.
"The West Indians were here to play a charity golf event. And we had some night cricket matches. He came to open, I bowled three overs at the start. He was trying to hit every ball, but wasn't getting his timing right.
"Eventually, he got into the groove and started playing like the Lara we know. He got to 86 in no time.
"But I brought myself back into the attack. When he hit the first ball for two runs, I knew he would step out to hit the next ball for a six.
"So I bowled little wide, he could not reach and got stumped. He was very annoyed he didn't get his hundred. It was a great thrill for me. It was something that I would always cherish."
Sidhwa, an 'early bird' who gets up at 3 in the morning and does yoga to keep himself fit, wants to keep playing until his body allows him to.
"I love to play, things that you love in life, you have to keep on going for that," he says.
"Everything is here in your mind, you have to be mentally strong. If you are a mentally strong person, you can achieve everything."
ALSO READ:
The unpredictable Englishman suffered his first career defeat in May when Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era
sports2 days ago
The team from Portugal also claimed the championship title after a hard-fought four-round season
sports2 days ago
Tristan Jass and Jesser, who continue to captivate millions worldwide with their innovative content, encourage young basketball enthusiasts in the Middle East to come forward and create content
sports2 days ago
Fresh off his birthday, the teenager delivers consistency to lead the Boys 15-18 Elite Division, while Russia's Ailsa Molokanova dominates the Girls 15-18 field
sports3 days ago
Terry Fox launched an epic run on a prosthetic leg in 1980 across Canada to raise money and awareness for cancer research
sports3 days ago
With new faces participating this year, the teams have been reshuffled to make the league more thrilling than ever
sports3 days ago
Spain win the mixed team event in trials
sports3 days ago
Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and dished 10 assists and to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA Cup title
sports3 days ago