‘Never thought it'd take me this far’: Dubai-born pitcher Ollie Duthie eyes baseball glory

When Ollie Duthie was first asked about his eligibility to represent Great Britain at baseball’s Under 23s World Cup, really his UK passport was perfectly sufficient.

Instead, he seems intent on proving his Britishness by adhering to the adage that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

At noon on Wednesday, while most people were doing their best to stay out of the heat of late summer in Dubai, he was out on the pitcher’s mound.

He is in transit in the city in which he was born and raised, between university term time in Vancouver and playing at the junior World Cup in China next month.

Rather than rest up in the air-conditioning and try to ward off jet lag, he preferred to get back out on to the fields where he learnt the game and limber up his pitching arm.

James Collette, the catcher who helped oversee his development in the Dubai Little League, was there to help out.

Duthie was straight back into the old routine, launching fast balls down the 18 metres from the mound to home plate.

Only something was different from last time he was here. The fizz of the ball through the air and the noise as it cracked into Colette’s glove was telling.

His years studying and playing at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver have clearly had an effect. Duthie’s fast ball has been clocked at 88mph during his time playing in Canada.

His scholarship to attend UBC has opened up new doors for the former JESS Jumeirah and Dubai College schoolboy. Now he is set to become the lone Dubai-born participant on the world stage at the competition in China.

“[Baseball] has provided so many amazing opportunities for me, travelling all over the world, Canada and America, as well as Korea and now China,” Duthie said.

“I never thought it would take me this far. I called it a hobby for so long, then all of a sudden I was practicing six days a week and it was all that’s on your mind 24/7. To see it paying off like this is exceptional.”

With an English mother and a UK-passport, Duthie is about as close to being a dyed in the wool Brit as anyone representing the team in their U23 World Cup debut.

The team have drawn their players from established hotspots for the sport across North America, most with a family link to Britain.

It means they are likely to be more competitive than being the whipping boys of a group that also includes No 1 seeds Japan, Australia and Puerto Rico.

“We are going in as underdogs but we are told on every phone call that the goal is to win,” Duthie said of a GB team who are 18th in baseball’s world rankings.

“You are crazy if you don’t go to try and win every game. It is going to be very difficult. We face some very talented teams like Japan and Australia.

“But seeing the roster we have got, we want to go all the way. That is what we are playing for.”

He says he did not need to be asked twice when he received the invitation to play.

“I’d seen videos of the World Baseball Classic, and that really opened my eyes up to all the international teams that play,” Duthie said.

“Seeing Great Britain play was pretty cool. I watched every one of their games. I have a lot of friends who play in the junior Canada team.

“When I got the call up for Great Britain, there was never a doubt in my mind as to whether I wanted to play or not.”

GB will play on the opening night of the tournament against the hosts, China, in a stadium that holds around 6,000 people.

The prospect of playing in front of a crowd like that holds no fear for Duthie. After all, he has experienced similar already in Canada.

“I love that atmosphere. I don’t know a single person that doesn't,” he said.

“I perform my best when there are people watching. It is exciting. Even if they are chirping at me, saying things I don’t want to hear, it makes me smile and pitch better.

“The first time was terrifying. It was Game 1 of the summer league [in Vancouver], which I didn’t know I was pitching in, with a crowd of 5,500.

“We were losing at the time and I remember going up and being booed a little. The nerves shake and you just pray for a good outing. I was lucky enough to have one of my best innings ever.

“I went three innings, no runs, and walked off smiling. Ever since then, nothing is going to be as scary as that moment.”

It is a far cry from the sedate climes of the Dubai Little League and their diamonds next to Al Quoz Pond Park. Duthie says his time abroad for university has exposed him to plenty already.

“If people want to say something to hurt your feelings, they’ll say it,” he said.

“The worst thing is warming up beforehand. When you are playing, you are in game mode, but warming up is all about anticipation and you want to be in a good mindset.

“Hearing a six-year-old in the stands say you suck does throw you off a little bit but you have to ignore it. And it goes both ways. Other fans were asking for my signature, and I was signing things before and after.

“When you get on the mound, it is the same game you have been playing for 16 years.”

While the UAE itself might be a while off from participating on baseball’s world stage, Duthie hopes his presence at the World Cup will show aspiring players there is a path to follow.

“Growing up here, there are not a ton of opportunities for playing baseball,” he said.

“But hopefully one day I can inspire a kid to think they can go and play at college. We have a wall of fame and it shows that we can play.

“I have had some success at college level and seen other guys do the same. I would love for a younger version of us to see that as an opportunity, and that if you can play, it doesn’t matter where you are from. If you put in the work, it can be rewarding.”