31 January,2019 02:42 PM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
Saurabh Walkar
Mumbai started the season by winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy (one-day) in October and are now heading to their last tournament - the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20). However, Mumbai will go into the tournament without their experienced performance analyst - Saurabh Walkar.
Walkar, who joined the team in 2008-09 when the Wasim Jaffer-led Mumbai outfit emerged Ranji Trophy champions, will now be part of Shoaib Malik's Multan Sultans team in the Pakistan Super League from February in Dubai. He was with the Mumbai team for eight seasons and was part of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy-winning teams twice.
"Former South Africa T20 captain Johan Botha, who is the coach of Multan Sultans offered me the job. Since I had the experience of working with him during IPL, I accepted it.
"But my heart stays with the Mumbai team because I belong to this place. I will always support Mumbai," Walkar, a performance analyst with Rajasthan Royals for three seasons, told mid-day yesterday.
Mumbai captain Siddhesh Lad said his team will miss Walkar's valuable inputs. "I personally had a lot to gain from his inputs. Whenever I got out, I discussed my technical faults and he gave me the right feedback. Mumbai will miss him, but everyone have to move forward and I wish him all the best for his future assignments," said Lad.
Former Mumbai coach Sulakshan Kulkarni, who guided Mumbai to a Ranji title in 2012-13, said: "He [Walkar] is a quality video analyst, very practical in approach and a positive person. He is the best video analyst I have come across."
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