Ajaz Patel: Hope I’ve opened a door

Three weeks ago Ajaz Patel experienced the biggest thrill of his cricketing career when he became only the third bowler in history to claim all 10 wickets in a Test innings However in a matter of few weeks his ecstasy turned into agony after the Mumbaiborn Kiwi leftarm spinner who was the highlight of the Wankhede Test despite the visitors losing the match and the series was left out from the 13member squad for the two Tests against BangladeshEven as the joy was sinking in the nonselection would be a nasty blow for Ajaz who aims to bring about a spin revolution in New Zealand and hopes to inspire youngsters to take up spin bowling In a chat with Sunday midday organised by Amazon Prime Video before the selection for the Bangladesh series Ajaz opened up on his newfound celebrity status his ambition to become an allconditions spinner his efforts to become a better batsman and his hopes of opening up doors for AsianoriginEdited excerpts from an interviewHas it all sunk inIt will be sinking in for a long time You donrsquot even dream about such things because you know how hard it is to attain It is more than a fairytale to be able to do it against a team like India at Mumbai which is my birthplaceHow has been the reaction back homeEveryone is very excited They are extremely happy for what I have achieved But they are also happy to be able to see me and connect with me share that joy with me For me it would have been special to share the joy personally but with lockdowns and isolations over here in NZ it has been a bit disjointed But it is cool to be back home and spend time with my family and my daughterWhat was the most touching gesture you experiencedI received some very very humbling messages from some of the greats of the game It was very humbling to receive a message from Sir Richard Hadlee and Anil Kumble sir Also the response and respect that I got from the Indian team and R Ashwin It is quite difficult to explain the all10 experience To see all those greats sitting there and watching me bowl I still feel weird thinking about itWere you a bit disappointed not being able to sign any autographs or give selfies at Wankhede due to COVID rulesIn the current situation that we are in we are not supposed to get closer to anyone for everyonersquos safety At the same time I was a youngster at some point and I know how special it was to get an autograph from someone playing international cricket For me I want to leave back a special memory wherever I can For us it is no big deal but for someone else it might make their day week or month In the COVID situation we had to keep all this at bay So to a certain degree it was disappointing but it was the situation that didnrsquot allow usHow has been your experience on New Zealand streets Do they recognise youIn New Zealand it is quite different Even if people do recognise you they will still not approach you But you certainly know that they recognise you Like I was walking through the airport on my way home from Christchurch to Auckland There were a few individuals who came up to me and said lsquocongratulations very well bowled It was amazing to watch yoursquo and stuff like that So it was quite humbling for me I definitely get a lot more attention than I used toWill things be better now for Asianorigin playersI hope to inspire youngsters to pursue the game a lot more and work hard to drive their dreams I donrsquot think there is a lack of opportunities for Asianorigin players in NZ but I hope I have opened a door where they can say lsquolook I have seen him do it and I donrsquot see why I canrsquot do itrsquo I hope to be some sort of a role model and influence them to follow their dreams and passion I would love to sit back and watch someone achievebig on an international stage and hopefully say that lsquoI saw that spell from Ajaz and it really inspired me to work hardrsquoWere you surprised with the all 10 wickets featYeahI suppose it does to a certain extent but I also understand something like that all 10 wickets does not happen very often When it happens everyone are a bit shocked and surprised especially for someone like me who came from nowhere and being able to achieve something like that I was playing my 11th Test When you look at some of the greats of the game they may have taken 600 700 wickets but they havenrsquot been able to achieve that all 10 wickets But those who managed to achieve that were some of the greats So to be able to achieve this in such an early stage of my career I suppose must have blown a few people away I know it is a long road ahead for me in terms of what I want to achieveWhich Amazon series are you fond ofI have heard about the Aussie change room documentary where they follow their cricket team So that sounds like an exciting watchDo you now expect to get more opportunities to bowl in NZYeah of course My passion for New Zealand is pretty strong I want to contribute and play as much cricket as I can whether it is at home or away It selection is not in my hands but what I can ensure is that every time I step on the ground I put results on the board So I want to be a consistent member of the New Zealand Test team and play everywhere in the world I also realised that batting is one aspect that I need to improve so that I can be an assetlsquoI love Mumbairsquos chicken lollipoprsquoAjaz Patel was just eight when he left Mumbai shores to settle with his family in New Zealand However the Mumbaikar in him is still alive and kicking ldquoI like everything about Mumbaithe hustle and bustle The raunak vibrancy that the city brings The food obviously is amazing You can find little corners of Mumbai where they serve amazing food I love coming to Mumbai for holidays Just the accessibility of the city is amazing There is no restriction even if itrsquos one in the morning If you are hungry there is certainly a place which is open Chicken lollipop is my favourite Itrsquos one of those things that brings back a lot of childhood memories It is my favourite hands down and it is a must to have whenever I visit Mumbairdquo said the Aucklandbased Ajaz