5 Cricketers whose families wanted them to quit the game

The road to cricketing glory is not always smooth, especially when your own family wants you to walk away from the game. There are some cricketers who had to fight to chase their dreams. 

Most of the time, it has been found that at their earlier stages, it was tough to consider cricket as a profession because of a fear of not having a stable lifestyle going forward. But they fought hard, chased their dream and ended up playing for their respective nations.     

Here are five players whose families once wanted them to quit cricket

1. Murali Vijay (IND)

Murali Vijay is known as one of the most stylish right-handed batters to have played for India, especially in Test cricket. But before becoming a professional cricketer, his journey was far from smooth. In the early days, it was only his dream to play cricket. 

He did not even appear for his class XII exams. His parents were not supportive of his desire to become a professional cricketer. As a result, Vijay made a bold decision—he left home for six months to gain experience and chase his dream. 

That tough choice eventually paid off. Vijay went on to play 61 Tests, scoring 3982 runs, including 12 centuries. He also featured in 17 ODIs and nine T20Is for India.

2. Darren Sammy (WI)

Darren Sammy, the former West Indies captain, star all-rounder, and now the head coach of the West Indies team, had to fight hard to become a professional cricketer—even against resistance from his own people. 

In his early days, his mother used to take him to church every Saturday, which often clashed with his cricket matches. This left Sammy frustrated, and he would often complain. But his mother remained firm in her routine. Despite the early struggles, Sammy stayed determined. 

He eventually became the first St. Lucian cricketer to play for the West Indies at the international level. He went on to lead the West Indies to two T20 World Cup titles, in 2012 and 2016. Sammy played 38 Tests, 126 ODIs, and 68 T20Is. 

3. Habibul Bashar (BAN)

When Habibul Bashar first thought about taking up cricket as a profession, Bangladesh had not yet achieved Test status. At that time, becoming a professional cricketer was not seen as a practical option, and his parents wanted him to focus on his studies instead. 

But Bashar’s passion and love for the game pushed him forward—and in doing so, he helped take Bangladesh cricket to new heights. He became the first captain to lead Bangladesh to their maiden Test victory, which came against Zimbabwe in 2004. 

Under his leadership, Bangladesh also achieved memorable wins in limited-overs cricket against top teams like India, Australia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Bashar went on to play 50 Tests and 111 ODIs for his country.

4. Fakhar Zaman (PAK)

Fakhar Zaman is known as one of the most explosive opening batters for Pakistan. Among his teammates, he is often called ‘fauji’ (soldier)—and there’s a story behind the nickname. Before making it big in cricket, Zaman served as a sailor in the Pakistan Navy. His father had encouraged him to take up that profession as he wanted Fakhar to focus on academics. 

He even sent him to Karachi for schooling. However, in 2013, Zaman made a bold decision to quit the Navy and pursue cricket full-time. That decision has paid off well, judging by the way he has performed for the Men in Green. So far, Zaman has scored 1849 runs in 93 T20Is, 3651 runs in 86 ODIs, and 192 runs in three Tests. 

5. Manpreet Gony (IND)

Manpreet Gony rose to fame in 2008 when he finished as the highest wicket-taker for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in that IPL season. But his personal journey was not as smooth as it appeared. 

When he decided to take up cricket as a profession, his parents were not supportive. They believed it wouldn't help him build a secure and stable life. Despite the doubts, Gony went on to have a long domestic career and also played two ODIs for India.

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