The Cricketer - Paperback

by Ian Feldman (Author)

A young Hindu Boy tells a fantastical tale of survival, adventure, loss and redemption, beginning in the rugged Muslim controlled Swat Valley of Pakistan. The thrilling tale begins, when he's attacked by Taliban Terrorists, but saved by a protective Hindu God that transforms him into the World's 'Fastest' Cricket Pitcher, eventually evolving him to become, an America Baseball Legend.

The year is 2038. Raji Swat is 22 years-old, born on a leap year in 2016 in the Swat Valley below the Himalayan Mountains in Pakistan. He is aware that those who see his small frame and hear his quiet voice will be surprised to learn that he is one of the wealthiest sports stars in the world. He is worth literally billions of dollars in earnings and endorsements. And... he's only twenty-two. His future promises only more fame and fortune. But like everything else in life, there is always the yin and the yang, a downside to each fortune that is bestowed upon one. After achieving his phenomenal success, Raji becomes an object of adoration - he is worshiped and honored around the world.

However, there is such a fan fanaticism for him that he faces serious security issues. He's "not free" to step outside his home and is forced to live in complete isolation with what is left of his family and his security detail on a private island, hidden in the Indian Ocean, far away from his friends and the origins of his birth.

Raji tells a story that runs the gamut from magical to horrid, from violence and prejudice to justice and destiny, from squalid struggles and poverty to a sports hero with untold wealth. "But, he says, "it made me what I am today."

As the story evolves, Raji Swat goes through several transformations as a national hero of cricket in Pakistan and India to the world stage as one of the most successful cricket players worldwide.

Then, out of the blue, an English sports writer who got wind of the Pakistani Phenom, visits Raji for an interview. Later when American baseball agent Ron Givins reads about Raji in an article written by the sports writer, he decides to fly Raji over to England to evaluate his skills which are reported to be near supernatural. He has a private late-night tryout at Wembley Stadium. After a practice session, Raji amazes everyone with 80 mph fast balls right in the strike zone graduating eventually to 108 mph. Raji earns a tryout in Phoenix with the underdog Oakland A's. The team had not won a World Series in forty-four years.

The A's are an American League team that has the DH Rule, which would keep Raji from having to bat. Additionally, there is a large Hindu and Indian population in Oakland, CA, which would make Raji and his family more comfortable than playing for a team in city that does not have a large Indian and Hindu population. A's fans are anxious for a star pitcher and Raji believes that he can be that man. Raji makes the A's roster as relief pitcher for the 2034 season. He goes on to take them to both the American League Championship and to the World Series against the LA Dodgers in October of 2034.