Player Profile: BJ Watling

Without a doubt, the very essence of cricket cannot be separated from New Zealand. For the longest time, New Zealand has always been feverish about cricket and it is no surprise that they are always at the forefront when it comes to such matters. If there is one player who has been quite present for all of them, it would have to be BJ Watling. So as he slowly winds down his career, let us see if we can learn some interesting things about this player who has surely impressed the world with his skills.

If there is one thing that would surely stand out with this player, it would surely be his age. Born on the 9th of July, 1885, he is currently 34 years old. What this means is that there is very limited time left in his playing career and yet, we could wish him to go on and on with his illustrious career.

For Watling, his beginning can probably be traced back to that moment when he was ten years old. That was the moment when his players felt it was the right move to immigrate to New Zealand from his home town in South Africa. That move would give him the opportunity to play for New Zealand and take his passion for cricket to a whole new level.

One of the things we love about him would surely the unpredictability of his strokes. They can be aggressive or subtle. However, one common thing about them is that they are quite deadly, to say the least. At a very young age, it was obvious that he was going to make it big in cricket and former stars for his country such as Ian Smith rightly said so.

When it comes to the international scene, he had to wait until 2010 to make his debut. His debut came against Sri Lanka. It is important to note that he had already kicked off his Test series with his country the previous year in a match which was played against Pakistan. When it came to domestic cricket, Watling by this time was already flying. He had played for Northern Lights for quite a while now and it was not a surprise that he was chosen to represent his country. If there is one thing that is true about New Zealand, having the chance to play for this team is not something that comes just like that. It is a sign of hard work and sheer determination.

BJ Watling is now 34 years. The clock for the game is almost over and he sure knows that. However, if there is any consolation in giving up the game, it is the fact that he has pretty much done his best for both club and country. If there is anything that he can be sure of, it is the fact that his country would forever have him in their hearts. In this game of passion, that is surely what is most important.