IPL has changed the lives of cricketers, with players turning into overnight millionaires within minutes. Chris Morris is the most recent example of the same, earning a record bid of Rs 16.25 crore in the last IPL player auction. Equipment like a helmet, pads are available aplenty, with players free to pick and choose as per their requirements. However, the same is not the case with every cricketer as evident from a tweet that shook the cricketing community to the core.

“Come Oct-Nov, I’ll be playing in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Qualifiers “B” in Kigali, Rwanda. Anyone who can at least help me with a top cricket bat that I’ll be able to use in the tournament would be highly appreciated and thanked. RT’s appreciated,” it read.

Come Oct- Nov, I’ll be playing in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Qualifiers “B” in Kigali, Rwanda.
Anyone who can at least help me with a top cricket bat that I’ll be able to use in the tournament would be highly appreciated and thanked.

RT’s appreciated.

— George Edward Ngegba (@GeorgeENgegba) July 16, 2021

The player’s name is George Edward Ngegba and he hails from Sierra Leone. Ngegba was recently named the nation’s Best Sports Man of the Year at the age of 18. The spin-bowling all-rounder can smash the ball a long way as well as deceive batsmen astutely with guile and sublime variations. The 19-year-old dreams of making his mark in the IPL, with Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh being his favourite players. However, the struggle for basic facilities like a proper ground to play in and equipment continues to hamper him on a daily basis.

“Have to practice with a helmet that is quite oversized”

“I spend nearly 1 and a half hours travelling to and fro from the ground, which is located quite far away on a daily basis. We play on a matted track rather than a green surface like an average cricketer. I have to practice with a helmet that is quite oversized and covers my face completely, which is definitely uncomfortable. It is something that irks me considering the fact that I am unable to play freely, due to the non-availability of facilities provided to regular cricketers easily,” says Ngegba in an exclusive chat with Sportsjuana.

The 19-year-old further does not have the luxury to focus solely on the game, like the players he enjoys watching on the TV.

“Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) are two teams I enjoy watching a lot. The former include players like Pant and Ashwin whom I admire a lot. MI have a lot of match-winners. It would be incredible to play in the league one day and something I work towards daily. However, I also have to work towards earning a living which is a luxury available to these stars.”

The priority at this stage will certainly be a fantastic performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Qualifiers. The national team comprises upcoming players like George Sesay, Alusine Turay, Karim Kamara, with Ngegba reserving special words of praise for Turay.

“Alusine Turay is a player to watch as I see him topping the run-scoring chart with a lot of half-centuries in our T20 league,” he said on a concluding note as quoted by Scouting Cricket.