“I had to prove that I’m a cricketer and not a terrorist,” says Parvez Rasool, the torchbearer of J&K cricket

May 11, 2013

Parvez_Rasool

Parvez Rasool Zargar's life has not been bed of roses. The terrorists have threatened to kill him for playing cricket, but nothing has stopped Rasool from playing the game he loves the most. Today he is the face of Jammu and Kashmir cricket. Sarang Bhalerao looks at Parvez Rasool’s career thus far.

After warming the bench for 12 matches, a window of opportunity opened for Parvez Rasool on May 9, 2013 when the beleaguered Pune Warriors gave him the opportunity to make his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut. It was a joie de vivre for the people of Jammu and Kashimir — a state which is in the news for the wrong reasons. For the Kashmiri people, Rasool embodies true champion, a believer of the principle that grit and hard work takes you to places.

But life has not been bed of roses for this 24-year-old. In October 2009, Rasool was staying at the Chinnaswamy Stadium guest house as he was to play the CK Nayudu Trophy for under-22s against Karanataka at Bengaluru. There was a Champions League match between Victoria and Cape Cobra that was to take place at the venue in the evening. The police were carrying their usual security drill when all of a sudden they suspected that Rasool’s kitbag having traces of explosives. From a resourceful cricketer, Rasool had turned into a suspect and interrogated at the police station. But his coach Abdul Qayoom cleared the misunderstanding and Rasool was let off. The incident left a huge mental scar on the young cricketer.

Recalling the incident, Rasool had told The Times of India: "I could hardly sleep on the first night after the incident. I couldn't believe something like this had happened in my life. I had even thought of quitting the game. But once I started knocking the balls in the nets, I felt better and I decided to play this game."

Rasool scored 68 batting at No 4 in the game against Karnataka. He was batting amidst the realms of contrasting emotions, but he let his willow do all the talking.

He said: “I had to prove that I am a cricketer and not a terrorist, which I had to show with my bat.”

Rasool was proved innocent and the police apologised to the cricketer. According to the police the frisking instrument was faulty. How the technical glitch would have affected the career of Rasool is a matter of conjecture. Rasool’s inner fortitude helped him sail past this torrid time. An allegation he least expects to hear, considering his background. Rasool is a role model for many cricketers from Jammu and Kashmir.

Rasool was part of India A squad this year against England on the sheer weightage of his domestic performances. In the longer versions of the game, he had scores of 165 against Haryana and 167 against Delhi. In the 2012 Ranji season, he had 33 wickets and his highest score was an unbeaten 171 against Goa. He picked up seven for 41 against Assam and scored 120 in that game too.

“He’s very promising,” said former India captain and the coach of Jammu and Kashmir, Bishan Singh Bedi when he got to know about his pupil’s selection for India A. “Last year I said he was a better off-spinner than many and that put him under pressure. I withdrew my words so that he could go about his way comfortably. I’m happy to note that he has performed like a champion this season with the bat and the ball,” said Bedi.

Rasool credits his bowling success to Bedi. “It was on his [Bedi’s] insistence that I began to concentrate more on developing my bowling skills,” said Rasool.

The youngster’s story is truly inspiring. A terrorist outfit had sent a warning letter that he shouldn’t play cricket for India. But he didn’t bother about these threats and plied his trade diligently.

Against the Australians at Guru Nanak College ground, Chennai he picked up seven for 45 as a part of Board President’s XI member. He exposed Australia’s weakness of playing spin bowling. He sowed the seeds of suspicions in their minds and later Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Ravindra Jadeja carried on the with the work started by Rasool.

Rasool’s IPL debut is just a small step towards his ultimate goal of representing the country. Taking into account his drudgery and toil and the impressive performances that day might not be far when he becomes the third Kashmiri cricketer, after Vivek Razdan and Suresh Raina, to don the coveted India cap.

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Agencies
January 5,2020

Mumbai, Jan 5: All-rounder Irfan Pathan on Saturday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending an injury-ridden career that prevented him from realising his true potential.

The 35-year-old's retirement was on expected lines, considering he last played a competitive game in February 2019 during the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy for Jammu and Kashmir.

He did not even put himself in the IPL auction pool, last month.

The left-arm seamer's bowling was like a breath of fresh air when he made his India debut against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2003.

He never had express pace but his natural ability to swing the ball into the right-handers got him instant success, also drawing comparisons with the great Kapil Dev.

It seemed India had found the all-rounder they were looking for since Kapil left the scene. Pathan, who last played for India in October 2012, featured in 29 Tests (1105 runs and 100 wickets), 120 ODIs (1544 runs and 173 wickets) and 24 T20 Internationals (172 runs and 28 wickets).

He was part of the victorious Indian team at the 2007 World Twenty20 and was the man-of-the-match in the final against Pakistan.

One of his best performances came on the tour of Pakistan in 2006 when he became the second Indian after Harbhajan Singh to take a Test hat-trick, removing Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yusuf during the Karachi game.

He also played a big role in India winning a Test match against Australia on a tough Perth wicket, which offered steep bounce.

Injuries and lack of form troubled him thereafter and his ability to swing the ball deteriorated.

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News Network
February 27,2020

Melbourne, Feb 27: Shafali Verma's 34-ball 46 followed by a superlative performance from the bowlers helped India notch up a narrow four-run win over New Zealand in a crucial group A match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup on Thursday.

Invited to bat, India posted a below-par 133 for eight against New Zealand in the crucial group A match with Shafali top-scoring with a 34-ball 46 and Taniya Bhatia chipping in with a 25-ball 23.

India, however, produced a disciplined performance with the ball to restrict New Zealand to 129 for six and register their third successive win in the tournament.

With this win, India topped Group A, having beaten Australia and Bangladesh in their last two outing.

Defending the total, India introduced spin straight away but Deepti Sharma bled 12 runs with opener Rachel Priest (12) hitting her for two boundaries.

But experienced pacer Shikha Pandey removed Priest in the next over when she had her caught at mid wicket.

With Shikha and left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad bowling in tandem, New Zealand played with caution to reach 28 for one.

Back into the attack, Deepti then cleaned up Bates with a beauty of a delivery as New Zealand slipped to 30 for two.

Poonam Yadav and Radha Yadav then mounted the pressure on the Kiwis and soon the Black Caps were 34 for 3 when the former dismissed skipper Sophie Devine (14).

Maddy Green (24) and Katey Martin (25) then tried to resurrect the innings with a 36-ball 43-run stand.

However, Gayakwad returned to remove Green, who danced down the pitch only to end up with an outside edge as Bhatia did the rest.

Radha then dismissed Martin to leave New Zealand at 90 for 5 in 16.3 overs.

Needing 44 off 21 balls, Kerr (34) blasted four boundaries to accumulate 18 runs in the penultimate over bowled by Poonam to bring the equation down to 16 off six balls.

In the final over, Heyley Jensen (11) and Kerr cracked a four each but Shikha held her nerves in the end to complete the win.

Earlier, 16-year-old Shafali provided the fireworks as India scored 49 for one in the powerplay overs. But they lost six wickets for 43 runs to squander the good start.

Smriti Mandhana (11), who returned to the playing XI after missing the last match due to illness, departed early but Shafali and Taniya (23) kept the scoreboard ticking, adding 51 runs for the second wicket.

In the 10th over, Taniya was caught by Amelia Kerr at backward point, while Jemimah Rodrigues (10) was caught by Kerr in the 12th over as India slipped to 80 for 3.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's (1) poor form also continued as she was soon back to the hut after being caught and bowled by Leigh Kasperek.

Shafali, who was dropped at long-on in the 8th over and at mid-wicket in the 10th over, then holed out to Jensen at deep extra cover. She had four hits to the fence and three maximum shots in her innings.

Left-handed batter Deepti Sharma (8) and Veda Krishnamurthy (6) brought up the 100 in the 15th over but both departed soon as India slumped to 104 for 6.

Radha Yadav then blasted 14 off nine balls, which included a six in the final over, to give some respectability to the total.

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News Network
April 26,2020

New Delhi, Apr 26: The idea of having a full-fledged women's IPL is in a "progression stage" and a World Cup title for India can actually help in turning that into a reality sooner than later, says former captain Anjum Chopra.

Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian team sailed into the final of the last women's T20 World Cup, but was thrashed by home favourites and defending champions Australia when it mattered the most.

Chopra, one of the country's most decorated women cricketers, said a World Cup title triumph would have brought about a generational shift to the women's game in cricket-mad India.

"Women's IPL in the progression stages. From one game at the start we had four last year in the Women's T20 Challenge, and this time it was supposed to be seven. It has progressed," Chopra said.

"If the women's team had won the World Cup this year, the number of matches would have been more. There is a big difference between winners and runners up."

Chopra had a successful career spanning over 17 years during which she represented India in six World Cups while becoming the first woman cricket to appear in 100 One-day Internationals.

She added, "A victory (in final of last T20 World Cup) would have been a complete generational shift in a much more progressional manner."

Referring to the rapid strides the women's game has made the world over, she praised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for "consciously building it up".

"ICC has bifurcated viewership numbers also very well for Indian audience."

The icing on the cake was a near-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the World Cup final between India and Australia, and that was not lost on Chopra, who is now a respected analyst and sportscaster.

"To have 80,000 people watching the final that's commendable. That definitely a boost," said Chopra, who holds the distinction of leading India to their first ever Test series win.

A World Cup triumph and the "mind set would have gone to different level altogether", she believed.

Asked about the chatter around pay disparity in Indian cricket, her simple message was win more to earn more.

"There is already pay parity in Australia. Because both teams have won the World Cups more than any other nations.

"If you start winning, then I am sure things will be different. It's also about how much you are able to generate as a team.

"I would say sky is the limit for them."

With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing sporting activities to a standstill, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the fate of many big events lined up in the near future.

While the IPL has been put on hold indefinitely, the pandemic has thrown the men's T20 World Cup, scheduled for October-November in Australia, into doubt.

"There has been a suggestion that if we are hosting the World Cup in October, then play the IPL as preparation ground for World Cup."

That is only if the situation improves in the coming times.

"It's difficult to see, to gauge where sport will be after this. For sure it is not going to be where it was before. Even if it opens up tomorrow it couldn't be the same.

"Can sports people can get back to work without worry? We don't know when this is going to be under control."

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