Sreesanth's close associates reveal how India's enfant terrible turned the corner
Sreesanth'su00a0closeu00a0associates revealu00a0howu00a0India's enfant terrible turned the corner
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As Shanthakumaran Sreesanth said after helping India to a winning position at the end of the third day's play of the second Test yesterday, life seems to have come a full circle "like a cycle, where you come back to the same spot".
Before being named in the playing XI for the Green Park Test, which India is just a step away from winning thanks to Sreesanth's fifer in Sri Lanka's first innings and his early strike in the second after they were asked to follow on, the Kerala bowler's last India appearance incidentally came at the very same ground.
But that was 19 months ago. Just a fortnight after the Kanpur Test against South Africa in April 2008 came the Slapgate incident during the Indian Premier League and Sreesanth's international career appeared to be over.
That was followed by more off-the-field controversies and a spate of injuries.
But yesterday's spell put all doubts about whether Sreesanth indeed deserved to be wearing the India cap and the blacklisted boy of Indian cricket was hailed as comeback king within a matter of minutes.
Sreesanth has worked hard over the last 18 months. It took him a while to realise that though his cricketing talent was never in question, it was his off-the-field antics that cost him his place in the side.
"You have to take his age into consideration. He was very young then. Now he's matured," P Sivakumar, who has been Sreesanth's mentor since he was 13, said from Kochi.
Sivakumar, who emphasises Sreesanth's god-fearing nature, stressed that despite all the hiccups he faced, his love for the game did not reduce a bit. And that's what helped him come back into the side.
"We were constantly talking, especially during these last six to eight months after he recovered from his injury about how he can concentrate better. Even when he was England, we used to continuously be in touch over the phone. For him, cricket is passion. Whatever others say, I know how much he loves cricket."
Though Sivakumar agreed that it was the bowler's county stint with Warwickshire that helped him regain his confidence after the injury break, he said the turning point came when Sreesanth was named in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup.
"Last year he played just one match for Kerala before breaking down with an injury. Then, he had a good stint in Warwickshire and he was bowling very well. The Irani Cup selection was the turning point. The moment he was called for that match, I was sure he would get a recall," Sivakumar said.
JK Mahendra, a former Kerala cricketer and one who was associated with Sreesanth during his bad days, felt the paceman should have been dealt with in better fashion. "When he was going through a bad patch, rather than keeping him away, people should have talked to him and helped him sort out issues so that all his tantrums could have been avoided. However, I think the Board's final warning and his tour to England helped Sree to turn things in his favour. I always highlighted the importance of being aggressive at the right time.
"I went to England as part of the Indian schoolboys team in 1967 and our manager Col Hemu Adhikari not only gave us cricketing tips. He was very particular about how we behave and carry ourselves off the pitch too," Mahendra said.
Hopefully, Sreesanth will now look beyond to what he himself termed as a "new beginning".
Chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who in a way, took a calculated risk in preferring Sreesanth over Munaf Patel, was extremely happy for the bowler.
"I am very happy for him because when you make a comeback, there is added pressure. He has taken the pressure well and has done a great job," Srikkanth told MiD DAY yesterday.
"It was just extraordinary bowling. I liked the way he moved the ball late. On a wicket like this he has come and bowled superbly, to put India in a winning position.
The biggest thing about him is that he has got this late movement which deceives the batsmen. That's what ultimately helped him get those wickets," said Srikkanth.
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