Sheldon Jackson recollected his emotions in the privacy of the dressing room, and the void suddenly started to sink in. He had just called it a day, after 15 years of first-class cricket. The Ranji Trophy quarter-final between Saurashtra and Gujarat that ended on Tuesday was his last. Saurashtra lost, but Sheldon left the field to a guard of honour. After 106 first-class matches and 7,283 runs at an average of 45.80, he deserved that.
“It’s obviously going to be very difficult for me, because cricket has been such a big and important part of my life,” Sheldon said, speaking to RevSportz. “I don’t know (about my future plans). But I have a very young family. I would just spend time with my two young boys, groom them and be with them. I’m looking forward to doing that at the moment, playing a few leagues here and there and then, once I get a little free time, I would be looking forward to meeting Niranjan sir (Shah) and Jaydev (Shah). I will have a conversation with them and see what is in store.”
Sheldon decided before the start of the season that this was going to be his last. At 38 years of age, maybe he didn’t have much left in the tank. “I was very transparent with my captain, with my association and with the players,” said Sheldon. “Even before the season started, I gave them a signal that this was going to be my last.”
He was a vital cog in the wheel in the resurrection of Saurashtra cricket. Over the past 10-odd years, the team became upwardly mobile. The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Jaydev Unadkat, Arpit Vasavada, Dharmendra Jadeja and Sheldon sort of grew together. No wonder that his mates became emotional when Sheldon said fare-thee-well.
“We grew with Saurashtra cricket, and likewise, we made Saurashtra cricket grow as well,” said Sheldon. “We went hand in hand. This was the group that brought glory to Saurashtra – two Ranji Trophy triumphs. A huge credit goes to Jaydev, under whose captaincy the glory years started. It all started with his vision. He groomed all of us basically.”
Pujara and Jadeja went on to become India stalwarts. But Sheldon urged people to spare a thought for Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya as well. “They also played for India,” stressed Sheldon. “At any level, it’s incredibly tough to play for India and you need to have special talent to do that.”
Sheldon himself played for India A. He batted in the middle-order, bowled part-time off-spin and in List A games, kept wicket as well. He turned up in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. But the India cap remained elusive.”I have absolutely no regrets,” he said. “I had to wait in the fringes for several years before making my first-class debut. Once I got a chance, I gave it my all.”
He has won many domestic honours. But nothing beats winning the Ranji Trophy. “I have won the Duleep Trophy, tournaments with India A, but winning the Ranji Trophy twice for Saurashtra was the crowning glory,” Sheldon signed off.
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