“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
May 13,2020

May 13: With the Olympics postponed due to the coronavirus, top Japanese fencer Ryo Miyake has swapped his metal mask and foil for a bike and backpack as a Tokyo UberEats deliveryman.

The 29-year-old, who won silver in the team foil at the 2012 London Olympics and was itching to compete in a home Games, says the job keeps him in shape physically and mentally -- and brings in much-needed cash.

"I started this for two reasons -- to save money for travelling (to future competitions) and to keep myself in physical shape," he told AFP.

"I see how much I am earning on the phone, but the number is not just money for me. It's a score to keep me going."

Japanese media have depicted Miyake as a poor amateur struggling to make ends meet but he himself asked for his three corporate sponsorships to be put on hold -- even if that means living off savings.

Like most of the world's top athletes, he is in limbo as the virus forces competitions to be cancelled and plays havoc with training schedules.

"I don't know when I can resume training or when the next tournament will take place. I don't even know if I can keep up my mental condition or motivation for another year," he said.

"No one knows how the qualification process will go. Pretending everything is OK for the competition is simply irresponsible."

In the meantime, he is happy criss-crossing the vast Japanese capital with bike and smartphone, joining a growing legion of Uber delivery staff in demand during the pandemic.

"When I get orders in the hilly Akasaka, Roppongi (downtown) district, it becomes good training," he smiles.

The unprecedented postponement of the Olympics hit Miyake hard, as he was enjoying a purple patch in his career.

After missing out on the Rio 2016 Olympics, Miyake came 13th in last year's World Fencing Championships -- the highest-ranked Japanese fencer at the competition.

The International Olympics Committee has set the new date for the Olympics on July 23, 2021.

But with no vaccine available for the coronavirus that has killed nearly 300,000 worldwide, even that hangs in the balance.

Miyake said the Japanese fencing team heard about the postponement the day after arriving in the United States for one of the final Olympic qualifying events.

With his diary suddenly free of training and competition, he said he spent the month of April agonising over what to do before hitting on the Uber idea.

"Sports and culture inevitably come second when people have to survive a crisis," he said.

"Is the Olympics really needed in the first place? Then what do I live for if not for the sport? That is what I kept thinking."

However, the new and temporary career delivering food in Tokyo has given the fencer a new drive to succeed.

"The most immediate objective for me is to be able to start training smoothly" once the emergency is lifted, he said.

"I need to be ready physically and financially for the moment. That is my biggest mission now."

But not all athletes may cope mentally with surviving another "nerve-wracking" pre-Olympic year, he said.

"It's like finally getting to the end of a 42-kilometre marathon and then being told you have to keep going."

As a child, Miyake practised his attacks on every wall of his house -- and he said his passion for the sport was what was driving him now.

"I love fencing. I want to be able to travel for matches and compete in the Olympics. That is the only reason I am doing this."

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News Network
June 13,2020

Mumbai, Jun 13: Vasant Raiji, who was India's oldest first-class cricketer at 100, died in Mumbai in the wee hours of Saturday.

Raiji was 100 years old and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

"He (Raiji) passed away at 2.20 am in his sleep at his residence in Walkeshwar in South Mumbai due to old-age," his son-in-law Sudarshan Nanavati told PTI.

Raiji, a right-handed batsman, played nine first-class matches in the 1940s, scoring 277 runs with 68 being his highest score.

He made his debut for a Cricket Club of India team that played Central Provinces and Berar in Nagpur in 1939.

His Mumbai debut happened in 1941 when the team played Western India under the leadership of Vijay Merchant.

Raiji, also a cricket historian and chartered accountant, was 13 when India played its first Test match at the Bombay Gymkhana in South Mumbai.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and former Australian skipper Steve Waugh had paid a courtesy visit to Raiji at his residence in January when he had turned 100.

It has been learnt that the cremation will take place at the Chandanwadi crematorium in South Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.

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