Agarkar swinging it on the greens now

Former Indian cricketer Ajit Agarkar was at his chirpy best at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club on Wednesday while participating in the ongoing qualification of Mumbai Leg of MercedesTrophy 2018. It wasn’t the first time the former Mumbai skipper and current selector swung the ball with iron sticks than his magical fingers. The 40-year-old, still supremely fit, has been a regular on Mumbai golf courses, since his retirement from cricket. He also participates in corporate golf tournaments.

“I have taken up golf since I have retired from cricket and I am quite addicted to the game. I spend a lot of time playing on the golf course. I usually turn up twice a week on the greens and sometimes a little more,” grinned Agarkar whose favourite golfers are Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy, but takes inspiration from his late friend Rajesh Sanghi.

Agarkar was once rated as the top Indian all rounder but was more lethal with the ball in his hands especially in ODI cricket. He played in 26 Tests, 191 ODIs and four T20Is between 1998 and 2007. He was also a senior member of the T20 World Cup winning team in 2007, but it turned out to be his last international engagement.

The Mumbaikar, however, kept playing domestic cricket and led Mumbai to their record 40th Ranji Trophy title before announcing retirement in 2013.

Agarkar was known for his batting contributions down the order also and he is one of rare players to get a Test hundred at Lords.

But he hasn’t completely left the sports and instead switched to golf.

“I enjoy the sport and obviously having played cricket, it does help in the beginning, but after that it is all the hard work because it is a tough sport but hugely enjoyable,” he added.

Besides being the Mumbai selector and playing golf Agarkar also analyses cricket on ESPNcricinfo. “I enjoy all the roles and these things are keeping me busy,” said Agarkar, who got trolled last year during the T20 series against New Zealand when he told the website that India should look beyond Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the shortest format.

Cricket is known to be a team game, where players express their emotions and get applause for good performance. But golf is considered a relatively lazier game, where a player is left on his own to stroll, strategise and come up with plan B, if things are repeatedly going into the rough. But Agarkar doesn’t mind being left on his own on the greens.

“I enjoy hitting, putting, everything here. It is nice to moved around towards the ball. Being alone helps to know yourself. Yes, in cricket you had ten men around to rally behind you but here too it’s fun,” observed Agarkar, who despite it being a pacer, kept his emotions in check during his international career and rarely was involved in any banter with rival batsmen.

The former cricketer isn’t in a mood currently to make big in professional golf. “I am not looking to be competitive right now. There is a lot of competition already. I just want to enjoy the game,” he said.

However he has been very competent player in the Indian corporate circuit. Last year, he qualified for the Indian final of the BMR World Corporate Golf Challenge by finishing second in the Mumbai leg of the tournament. During the national finals held earlier this year in Bengaluru, the former seam bowler and his partner went on to win the Indian final of the tournament.