Bobby’s Phenomenal Season

By James Persaud
Dec. 13th, 2008
Rock on, Bat on or should I just say play on-regardless of how and what you say, it would be very difficult to dispute that Bobby Pahalad is not the best all rounder in softball cricket today. Last year he won the most coveted prize in softball cricket, he was voted the 2007 cricketer of the year. For most winners they would have sat on their laurels after winning but unlike Bobby it seems to just give him that extra drive to continue shooting for the stars.

Bobby Pahalad collects the victorious Division 1A 30-Overs championship cup from Mike Bansi.

He is tall and lanky with a diamond ear piercing that reflexes on his broad smile that shows a young man that is having the time of his life or just enjoying the success of being good at his game. It is amazing what could happen as time goes by, I remembered clearly four seasons ago Bobby was playing in a finals and he was not even given a chance to bowl a ball in the game. Of course, his team on that day loss the game, today to have Bobby on the field as a player and not giving him the ball would be the silliest move by any captain. While his overall performances in the game has developed tremendously; he has yet to win a big Inter State finals, until you accomplish this feat Bobby keep shooting for the stars your day will come.

Last season when he won the cricketer of the year award he was closely followed by two other players, but in the 2008 season he stood independently as the rest merely followed. He dominated the premier division in the 25 over championship winning all the batting awards and two bowling awards, while in the 30 over cup in the same division he took three battings awards. In the Mini World Cup 20/20 he grabbed two bowling awards while scoring two centuries during the season.

This past season I went to Canarsie Park in Brooklyn where the league’s playoff games were playing as I was walking across the field from my car I saw a game in progress and a fielder who was moving as though he was super man. My first instinct was that this guy must be new to the league and wants to make a name. As I got closer I saw that it was Bobby who was controlling most of the off side field between cover point and extra cover, he was moving like he had a ‘red bull’ breakfast, and of course it was a semi-finals game. I immediately thought of another guy Eon Ellis who would cover the leg side between deep square leg and deep mid wicket while making perfect throws to the stumps.

Watching Bobby playing in a game is a treat, he has a smooth flowing run up as a pace bowler, he strokes the ball with power while his placing is almost perfect and he is one of the fastest runners between the wickets. On the field his domineer is to win at all costs while off the field he is one of the nicest guys and well accepted by his teammates and friends.

Bobby has proved to be a leader and if he continues to play and keep his game at such a high standard by the time his career is over he would set some new records that might be hard to duplicate or break any time soon.