After lying low,Mohsin Sayeed aims big

Mohsin Sayyed,the Maharashtra medium pacer,is still coming to terms with the fact that illness took away his biggest chance to perform on an international platform.

Sayyed,who was a member of the India Under-19 team,was diagnosed with dengue and consequently had to withdraw from the team a couple of weeks before the start of the World Cup. He had been expected to shoulder the new-ball duties after a strong showing in the recently concluded Asia Cup in Malaysia.

“It was so unexpected. I reported for the camp in Bangalore and trained there for a week and out of the blue I was diagnosed with dengue,” says Sayyed.

“After my diagnosis,my team members and my captain,Unmukt Chand,supported me and told me to just keep working hard and keep myself fit,” he says. “I have lost this chance,but I will work hard for the next edition in UAE.”

Watching his teammates on television is proving to be quite a painful experience,but he is confident they can manage without him. He fully expects them to beat Pakistan in the quarterfinals. “We played Pakistan in the Asia Cup and we have gotten a measure of them. I am confident the boys are going to win the match,” he says,who is recovering at home in Paranda,a village in Osmanabad district.

The left-armer is also pleased that state-mate Vijay Zol has played a crucial role for India in their last victory against Papua New Guinea,top-scoring with 72.

“Vijay is a talented batsman and a great friend of mine. I am happy to see him do well,” he quips. Sayyed’s rise up the cricketing ladder has,by his own admission,been rapid. He started playing tennis-ball cricket at school and was noticed by a local coach in an inter-school tournament for the pace he managed to generate and also for his accuracy. After just one tournament for the Osmanabad district team,he was selected for the Maharashtra Under-13 team.

Since then,the lad from Paranda has graduated through the age groups and,on the basis of his strong showing in various tournaments,was drafted into the India Under-19 side in 2010,when he was just 15.

Sayyed made his debut for Maharashtra limited-overs side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in February 2004 and picked up five wickets from five matches,with a best of three for 41 against Punjab.

He is hoping to get back to training in a week’s time,the moment he completes his period of convalescence. He says his teammates in the India Under-19 team have promised to win the World Cup for him and he is praying for them to keep their word.