|
|
| CricketZone.Com | IndiaExpress.Com ApunKaChoice.Com |
 |
|
NEWS India-South Africa-Sri Lanka Tri Series 2006>Munaf Patel's quest to break the 100 mph barrier 26th July 2006 22.35 IST By Manish Kumar Munaf Patel has said that he is working hard to achieve the 100 miles per hour mark – a dream for any fast bowler when he first runs in with the red cherry in hand. Though Munaf has said that he won’t sacrifice his line and length in the process, observers of the game do maintain that if there is anybody in the Indian team who can break the 100 mph barrier it is Munaf.
Munaf was first picked up by local cricket patron Ismail Matadar for his club side in Bharuch, he then broke through the district side blasting out 18 wickets in two games in Surat and Valsad. That performance helped Munaf to make it to the Gujarat under-22 side in 2001-02. He then bowled out a strong Mumbai side, got into the Gujarat Ranji squad and came agonisingly close to playing in the starting XI. In 2002, Munaf went to Kiran More’s Alembic Academy in Baroda where he impressed him with his potential even bowling without shoes. More then invited Munaf to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai in 2003 and there the pacer attracted the attention of visiting Australian captain Stephen Rodger Waugh , and the director Dennis Lillee with his raw pace – regularly touching 85 miles per hour. But what brought Munaf into limelight was his display in the pre-season camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore where he impressed none other than Sachin Tendulkar . So impressed was Sachin that he was keen that Munaf represented Mumbai in the 2003-04 domestic season and so Munaf was captured by Mumbai in a transfer deal, in late 2003, without ever representing his native Gujarat. Munaf had more than impressive debut first class season as he picked up 33 wickets in ten games at an average of 25.27 and then got picked for the Duleep Trophy and then to the India A squad – a feat not many have accomplished in their first season – but Munaf did it. It was on India A’s tour to Zimbabwe and Kenya that Munaf’s troubles began. He struggled with injuries, and was criticized by India A coach Sandeep Patil, who believed that he had a mental problem dealing with his injuries. About a month later, while bowling his eleventh over on the first day of the season-opening game at Mohali, Munaf crashed to the ground clutching his right shoulder in pain. Reports revealed a stress fracture. All thought that it was the end of a promising career, but experts knew it wasn’t because what happened to Munaf wasn’t a bowling injury. The experts were sure that Munaf would come back. The comeback happened a year later when Munaf returned fitter and faster. He switched his loyalties to Maharashtra and scalped 34 wickets in seven matches. The comeback was symbolically complete when Munaf took nine wickets against his previous side Mumbai at his previous home ground – the Wankhede Stadium. More interestingly, the match where Munaf playing for Board President’s XI, brought the touring England side on its knees with a ten-wicket haul, happened at Baroda – his original launchpad. The ill timing of the selection committee that happened during the Baroda game ensured that Munaf made his debut in the second Test against England at Mohali – the venue where he had broken down the previous year. And his debut was nothing short of memorable as Munaf returned with figures of 7/97 – the best performance by an Indian fast bowler on Test debut. Munaf’s spell on the fifth morning was particularly impressive. While England's bowlers missed a trick when they had India five down in the first innings and continued bowling short, thus depriving themselves of reverse swing, Munaf mixed his lengths well to the batsmen and torpedoed reverse-curling yorkers into the tail. For Munaf to display that kind of knowledge in just his first Test was heartening and contrary to unkind rumours that suggested the thought behind his bowling was minimal. The tour of the West Indies has proved to be a turning point in Munaf's career. Munaf picked the prized wicket of Brian Lara thrice in the Test series, a pointer to his astute cricketing brain, which leaves no doubt about his ability to think out the batsmen out in the middle. Apart from his raw pace, it was perhaps this quality, which was observed by Sachin in 2003. It is now upto Munaf how he tackles with fame, doesn’t get carried away with hype, doesn’t sacrifice his line and length and yet go for his aim of breaking the 100 mph barrier. Also View In-Depth Coverage: India-South Africa-Sri Lanka Tri Series 2006 Team Page: India Team Page: Sri Lanka | LIVE CRICKET COVERAGE NEWS ~ Gilchrist has no plans to retire after World Cup ~ Ganguly's new batting approach may cost him sixer record ~ India 'squash the Orange' in World Cup warm-up game ~ Symonds gets a new hairdo for World Cup ~ Dhoni readies himself for stand-up act at World Cup (more in NEWS) FACE-TO-FACE ~ 500-mark a possibility in World Cup: Hayden ~ Minnows add charm to World Cup: Dravid (more in FACE-TO-FACE) COLUMNS ~ Will Sri Lanka replicate 1996 World Cup success? (more in COLUMNS) OFF-THE-FIELD ~ Ganguly again the darling of corporate world ~ Ganguly roped in as brand ambassador of Puma (more in OFF-THE-FIELD) PLAYERS Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble (more PLAYERS) TEAMS India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, Zimbabwe, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Kenya, Holland | 
|
|
|