Binny junior says it is tough being compared to his father Roger.
At 28, Stuart Binny’s father was four years into his Test career. Roger Binny — although he was never in the league of Kapil Dev — had already established himself as one of India’s finest all-rounders.
Stuart has just finished his eighth Ranji Trophy season. But he’s still not close to national selection. Why, he’s not even a certainty in the India ‘A’ squad.
Somehow, Stuart Binny does not feature in our coffee conversation? The boy has some talent. He ticks the boxes for the shorter version: he is a clean hitter and bowls intelligently.
Now that his father is part of the selection panel, it must be all the more tough to break into the national team. His selection, even if it’s on merit, is bound to raise a few eyebrows.
“To be honest,” he says, “if you’ve got scores on paper, there is not much people can do. There will be times when I’ll have bad days and fingers will be pointed at me. But I guess you have to put those days behind you.”
Being the son of an illustrious father often works both ways. It could be an impediment or a blessing. Rohan Gavaskar feels that if not for his father, he wouldn’t have had cricketing genes. It’s another matter that he could never create — or was never allowed — to have his own identity. Arjun Tendulkar may have already realised what being a Tendulkar means.
Roger Binny may not be mentioned in the same breath as Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. But he had played for India with some distinction.
“It’s tough when you are compared to him,” Stuart says. “We’re two different individuals at the end of the day. He’s played Test cricket and I’m still trying to get a look into the India ‘A’ squad. When I was a kid, he always told me that I could only go out and play good cricket and the rest would happen. You can’t keep playing with your surname.”
Looking forward, Stuart is hoping to be more consistent for Rajasthan Royals. “One good IPL and you never know,” he says.
What does it mean to be led by Rahul Dravid? “I also played club cricket under him when I was 15. He understands my game a lot better than other captains since he’s seen me as a kid. That helps in a big way.”
@RutvickMehta
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