As good as it gets,says Jhulan

Plying her trade in a male-dominated sport,life has never been a bed of roses for this small town girl from Chakdaha in Nadia district. She fought against the odds and became the world’s No. 1 fast bowler in women’s cricket. Preparing for the upcoming West Indies tour at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore,Jhulan came to know about her nomination,which she described as a “special honour”.

“I still cannot believe it. The feeling is yet to sink in. It’s hard for me to describe…this is as good as it gets. I thank the people who believed I am worthy of it,” Jhulan told The Indian Express . “I had no clue that my name was recommended,” she added.

The women’s cricket has changed a lot after it came under the BCCI’s purview and Jhulan is happy.

“Things have changed a lot in the last five-six years. When I first started in 2002,it was not easy for a girl to make a career in cricket. International matches were few and far between and getting jobs were difficult as publicity was virtually non-existent. Now,things have changed for good. We have access to better facilities. Awards motivate a player to do better.” she said. She dedicated the award to her family,friends,team mates and coach Swapan Sadhu. The 29-year-old,however,is not new to awards and silverwares.

She became the first Indian to win the ICC’s international women’s cricketer of the year award in 2007. Three years later she became an Arjuna awardee and now she has completed a hat-trick of sorts.

In eight Tests,Jhulan has bagged 33 wickets at 16.36,while in 114 ODIs,she has 135 wickets. But more than that,the Bengal girl is respected and feared for her pace. She is the quickest in the women’s circuit at the moment. The next target is the 2013 World Cup and win it for the country.