Where there was water, they dreamt of cricket !
Srinagar, May 27: In the heart of Barzulla, an uptown neighbourhood of Srinagar, where concrete lanes and crammed homes leave little room for play, a group of determined boys took an extraordinary leap—transforming a patch of flood spill channel into a makeshift cricket ground.
This isn’t a story backed by government funds, corporate sponsorships, or NGO hand-holding. It’s the story of Sahil, Faisal, Moomin, Uzaib and Taha and a small army of young dreamers—some barely into their teens—who dared to build something from scratch using nothing but passion, pocket money, and perseverance.
The Scarcity of Space
For years, the boys of Barzulla had played wherever they could—on sidewalks, between buildings, or miles away in Natipora, Amar Singh College, or Budgam. Their own neighbourhood lacked even a patch of playable ground. Football had a presence in the flood channel, but cricket? No turf. No track. No hope.
“We always wanted a proper pitch,” recalls Moomin, a local shopkeeper and one of the oldest in the group. “But there was just nowhere to play. So we decided, if no one’s going to give us a ground—we’ll make our own.”
Dream Takes Root
Around three months ago, the idea to turn the flood channel into a cricket turf began to take shape. “We didn’t even wait for too long to plan,” says Sahil, a student and one of the three who led the initiative. “Within a couple of weeks, we started collecting money, working on the field, and gathering materials.”
Their team included students, businessmen and schoolboys. Even the smallest contributors gave whatever they could—some their weekly pocket money, others labor and time.
They spoke to older local players, many of whom worked jobs and still played cricket in their spare time. “They supported us financially,” Moomin says, “but the main force was us. We contributed ourselves, collected water in buckets, leveled the soil, fenced the area, and cut the grass.”
Blood, Sweat, and Dust
It wasn’t easy. The flood channel wasn’t designed for sports—it was a waterway. Building a pitch meant carrying soil, preparing the base, and dealing with every imaginable obstacle.
“There were cows that would walk across the wicket,” Moomin laughs, recalling the chaos. “We had to build fencing not just to protect the turf from cattle but also from the threat of the river itself. Any unexpected weather or overflow from the Jhelum could wash it all away.”
The fencing, too, was modest—ordinary wood and mesh compared to the sturdy iron fences of more official grounds in Natipora or Harnambal. But for them, it was more than just wire. It was a wall between despair and dreams.
A Ground Grows in Barzulla
Today, that patch of land has become something special. Kids pour in every morning and evening. “We feel proud,” says Moomin, looking at the pitch with satisfaction. “The ground isn’t just ours anymore—it belongs to the community.”
The local crowd has taken notice. During matches, onlookers gather, cheering the youth on. “Before this, no one in the area had anything to watch or be a part of,” Moomin adds. “Now they do.”
In a city where most cricket grounds are clustered in selected neighborhoods like Narbal, Bemina, or SP College, Barzulla was forgotten. “JKC has supported grounds elsewhere, but we got nothing,” Sahil says plainly. “Not a rupee from any official body.”
Beyond the Boundary
But they don’t play the blame game. They play cricket.
Their next plan? Organising a local tournament to give unknown players a stage. “Some kids can’t afford to go to far-off stadiums. We want to give them a chance right here,” says Faisal.
When asked what drives him, Moomin is clear: “I’m not doing this for fame or reward. I am doing it because our youth deserve better than drugs or crime. They need purpose. And this pitch gives them that.”
As gusty winds threaten their fragile fencing and every rainy forecast brings anxiety, one thing remains steady—the spirit of Barzulla’s boys. No matter what comes, they’ll patch it, fix it, rebuild it. Because it’s their turf. Their battle. And their victory.
To keep the community engaged and informed, the young team has also launched a social media handle on Instagram—@barzullahcricketfraternity—where they regularly post updates about their matches, turf progress, and upcoming sporting activities.
“The purpose is to keep local sportspersons and others informed about the schedule and to build a network around the game,” says Moomin.
