Putting the right spin

An impressive showing in the IPL,preceded by consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai and now being awarded the best bowler in the recently concluded Emerging Players Tournament.

An impressive showing in the IPL,preceded by consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai and now being awarded the best bowler in the recently concluded Emerging Players Tournament. Iqbal Abdulla has taken all the right steps and made all the necessary noises over the last 10 months to enhance his credentials and that too at a stage where an overhaul in Indian cricket is nigh.

And while the 21-year-old left-arm spinner,who doubles up as a useful lower-order batsman,is bubbling with confidence following his exploits Down Under,he insists on not being in any major hurry for a national call-up. Abdulla instead is quite prepared to wait for his chance.

When I started to play cricket I never thought that I would reach so far and then the Mumbai Ranji team happened. It’s not easy to be part of the Mumbai Ranji side,it takes lots of hard work. And if it’s in my destiny to represent my country then I will definitely do that one day, says Abdulla,who picked up nine wickets in the three-day games that his team played against South Africa Emerging Players,New Zealand A and Australian Institute of Sport.

Bowling on the flat wickets in Brisbane,however,wasn’t an easy task for any of the bowlers on show. And the Indians,the spinners in particular,also had the added burden of dealing with the Kookaburra ball,which has never found too many fans among the tweakers from the subcontinent.

And before packing his bags for Australia,Abdulla reveals he ensured that he was as used to the Kookaburra ball,which are tougher to grip,as possible.

In India we use the SG or other balls. Bowling with a Kookaburra ball is not easy. At the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore,I made sure that I bowled bowl continuously with it,especially after I bowled the whole season with SG balls. It takes time to get used to,but my home-work paid off, he adds.

The flat wickets though weren’t much off a challenge to overcome for Abdulla,as they were akin to the ones he is used to bowling on back home during the domestic season.

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The wickets were similar to the ones we get here in India,so I knew it was better to stick to your basics. For me,it was a good learning experience,as every ball I had to try something or the other, he says.

Regarding his India call though,Abdulla prefers to continue putting his best foot forward every time he gets an opportunity with bat or ball,rather than dwell too much on his chances right now. He doesn’t want to get carried away at any stage,and wants to constantly knock on the door of the national selectors.

Inshallah,as I said,let destiny decide my fate. All will depend on how the coming domestic season will go,till then and even after that I have to continue my hard work, says the youngster,whose next assignment will be the Champions League qualifier with his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.

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