Cricket’s Rising Star: Evin Little’s Journey from Missed Games to International Stardom
Evin Little’s path to cricketing success was not without its challenges. The young Irish cricketer’s international career almost derailed before it even began, as he once prioritized attending a music festival over an important interprovincial fixture for Leinster Lightning.
“This festival came around and all my friends were going,” recalled Little, who made his T20 debut for Ireland in September 2016 at the age of 16. “They just said ‘look, you have to find a way out of going’. I just messaged my coach and I said ‘I’m not available this weekend’.”
However, a conversation with then-Ireland coach Graham Ford proved to be a pivotal moment. Ford saw immense potential in Little and urged him to choose cricket over the distractions of socializing and drinking.
“Ford said he saw ‘something special’ in me and told me to ‘choose cricket’ and change my lifestyle to ‘make a lot of money in this game’, saying ‘I can see that you are talented’,” Little explained.
This wake-up call prompted Little to make significant changes.
“From that moment on, I think I lost about 20 kilos, basically stopped drinking,” he said. “I was as lean as an Olympic boxer, which [initially] was too lean for what I needed to do. But that was sort of the turning point in my career to sort of progress.”
Little’s dedication and commitment to the sport have paid off, as he has gone on to establish himself as a rising star in the world of Cricket. His journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring cricketers, reminding them that with the right mindset and sacrifices, they too can overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams.
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