Former South Africa left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, who made his Test debut at the Wankhede Stadium in 2000, is back in the city for his first brush with the Mumbai Marathon on Sunday
Nicky Boje
Former South Africa left-arm spinner Nicky Boje is nervous, yet excited as he prepares for his first brush with the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on Sunday.
Former South Africa cricketer Nicky Boje at the Cricket Club of India, Churchgate, yesterday. Pics/Satej Shinde
The feeling gives him a sense of déjà vu, considering he made his Test debut in this city, 16 years ago, against a Sachin Tendulkar-led Indian team at the Wankhede Stadium on February 24, 2000.
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"I was nervous then too and remember very clearly that I didn't have a great first Test (none for 17 off five overs and 14 runs with the bat), but we won it anyway (by four wickets), so it was not a bad start. My second Test was a memorable one though (2-10 & 5-83 as SA beat India by an innings and 71 runs in Bangalore).
Historic series win
That (two-match) series was the first time in 14 years that an overseas team won a Test series in India, so in that sense, it was an unbelievable start to my Test career," Boje told mid-day at the Cricket Club of India yesterday soon after landing in the city. Boje, who played 43 Tests and 115 ODIs for SA between 1995 and 2006, is no stranger to distance-running.
"I do a lot of running as part of my training and have participated in the 2013 Berlin Marathon. I run along with my wife Anel and her niece Erna, who are here too. Running is a hobby, so the marathon is more of a fun event rather than a competitive one for us," said Boje, who clocked an impressive 4 hours, 40 minutes in Berlin.
Nicky Boje
He's pretty well read on the subject too. "I've read quite a few books on distance-running and picked up some tips from there to help improve my technique. Hats off to the effort put in by the globally dominant Kenyan and Ugandan athletes. I was fortunate to see Kenyan Wilson Kipsang set the marathon world record (2:03:23 seconds) in Berlin," said the 42-year-old, for whom age is just a number.
"Running is a habit and once you do it over a period of time, it's not a big deal. A strict watch on nutrition combined with a structured fitness regime helps in preparing for long distance runs," explained Boje, who avoids fried and processed food, red meat and alcohol, opting for fruits, salads, vegetables and lean meats.
That doesn't mean he'll stay away from his favourite Indian food here. "I love my chicken tikka and naan bread. I'm looking forward to having a go at that as I'll be staying over for a couple of days after the race," he said, not forgetting his priority though.
"The weather in Berlin was nice and chilly so I managed a sub-five hour time, but in Mumbai I'm aiming for the 5:10 or 5:20 mark. Let's hope the city is as kind to me at the start of my longer version of running as it was during the beginning of my journey in the longer version of cricket."
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