Scoring one run and three ducks internationally almost shattered 13-year-old St Stephen's College student Zane Ethan Maraj's dreams of cricket.
In December 2019, while playing a competitive match in Florida, he scored the three consecutive ducks. The batting all-rounder was on the brink of tears as he recalled the embarrassing moment.
Then ten, he was vacationing in the US and decided to play with AK Academy Cricket Club’s under-13 team against an under-15 side.
Maraj, who lives in Mafeking Village, Mayaro, like many country boys, loves outdoor activities – playing, climbing trees, taking long family drives – as well as watching his favourite sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Smiling, he said, “I do not know if I was destined to be a cricketer. However, my grandfather Jewan Maraj Sr gifted me with a toy that would forever change my life – it was a cricket bat!
“My first game was officially at seven, it was a primary school game.”
He recalled scoring just two runs for Rio Claro ASJA Primary School.
Now he captains both the TT Under-13 and Under-15 cricket teams
Zane says his parents Veda and Jewan play a vital role in his life.
“Mummy ensures I do not miss a beat with my academics. I am expected to perform at the highest level, as she knows of my dreams after cricket.”
[caption id="attachment_968611" align="alignnone" width="683"] Zane Ethan Maraj captains the Under-13 and Under-15 cricket teams. - Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
His father, Jewan Maraj Jr, is one of his biggest supporters. He plays an instrumental role in Zane’s life, both on and off the field, from taking him to match practice, working out with him, and being his mentor.
His parents, he said, reassured him it was ok to fail. His father often refers to a quote from basketball legend Michael Jordan — “I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life.”
Jordan’s words now hold permanent residence in the young cricketer’s mind.
Luckily, he did not bow to failure. He later got the opportunity to meet one of his favourite cricketers, Dwayne John Bravo. “I remember being starstruck, seeing him in person and getting his autograph and chatting with him,”
Maraj hopes, along his journey to meet the likes of Australian cricketer Steven Peter Devereux Smith and Virat Kohli from India.
Had it not been for his father’s encouragement and his liking for several sporting superstars, Maraj believes he might have quit due to his previous failures on the field.
[caption id="attachment_968612" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Zane Ethan Maraj with his mother, Veda, and father, Jewan, who motivate him to succeed even when he fails. - Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
“Being the captain of the national Under-13 (team), some may think it is a reward, but it comes at a cost. The team’s success and failures fall on the captain’s shoulders.
“When the team is winning, it's great. However, when we
