Carl Cruz fully understands Gilas Pilipinas’ decision of not including him in the final lineup that will face Chinese Taipei in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers’ third window, that it’s all part of being a member of the program.
The 12-man unit that will face the Taiwanese squad this Friday has been unveiled Thursday afternoon, and Cruz’s name was nowhere to be found. This is now the fourth time in five games that the 26-year-old forward got cut.
“Hindi naman naapektuhan kumpiyansa ko. Kasi kahit practice player or ma-cut lineup, we are one here.
“Kumbaga family kami dito. No one gets left behind. Kaya no hard feelings or any negative sa’kin right now,” Cruz told Tiebreaker Times.
Cruz has been raring to get his feet wet for some time now.
It’s no secret that the former FEU Tamaraw has hardly seen action for his mother team, the Alaska Aces. Since his rookie year last PBA season, Cruz was often seen on the sidelines, as his name was usually on the reserve list.
For some, this is puzzling, considering the amount of solid outings he had for Gilas in tournaments such as the FIBA Asia Cup and the SEA Games, plus a stint with Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup — all in 2017.
He had a chance early this 2018 Commissioner’s Cup, but even that took a hit after incurring a minor knee injury. Cruz needed four weeks of rehabilitation, and that cost him an appearance in all three legs of the All-Star Week.
The 6-foot-4 Cruz though finally played in the mid-season conference last June 24, when the Aces fought Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. There, he played for over 11 minutes and scored four points, but Alaska lost by a huge margin, 86-105.
Still, one game — and a game that ended up in a loss — isn’t enough.
Challenges have already marred the sophomore’s young professional career, safe to say. But Cruz isn’t backing down from any of it, that whatever is happening is all part of the process and all part of the Almighty One’s plans.
“Always positive lang ako kahit marami struggles,” said Cruz, who has been with the Gilas program since 2016, or since his amateur days.
“Alam ko naman may plan si Lord sa’kin kaya lahat ng worries ko pinagpepray ko na lang.”
This doesn’t mean the end for Cruz though. There’s still the Gilas-Australia match on Monday, and Cruz is hopeful to play in that — his only appearance in the Qualifiers so far was also against the Aussies in which they lost, 68-84.
“Hanggang may chance, tatrabahuhin ko.”
