Parvez Rasool, first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to be named in the national team, told Amit Chaudhary in an interview about the change his success has brought in J&K and the need to improve facilities in the state. Excerpts
You became first cricketer to represent India from Jammu and Kashmir. Tell us about your journeyIJ
I am from Bijbehara, a small town in Jammu and Kashmir. It's about 62km from Srinagar. I used to go there to practice because there is no turf wicket in our town. I worked hard there and performed well in junior cricket for J&K. After that I played in first class cricket for my state, also did well against Australia while representing India A. On that basis I got the IPl contract and then was named in the national team. It was a proud moment for me.
What challenges do J&K cricketers faceIJ
What I feel is that J&K lack cricket facilities. The biggest problem is grounds. We have got only one or two grounds and that too we can't use in winters. We aren't able to hold zonal matches in J&K because we can't organize two matches simultaneously. There is a huge shortage of grounds and turf wickets, which is very important for cricket to grow.
Has your growth as a cricketer brought any change in J&K cricketIJ
Yes. You can see that in our team's performance this season. For the first time ever we qualified for the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy. The biggest change that has come in our team is that every player is contributing to the team's success. Earlier, one or two players used to perform. Whether medium pacer, spinner or batsmen, everyone is contributing now. That has been the main reason for our success this season.
You must be getting a lot of respect in your dressing room now. Have you noticed any differenceIJ
No, it's not like that. But it's not very unusual because if someone represents the country he gets attention. But we all stay like brothers. There is nothing like big or small player. That's also a reason for our improved performance. We managed the team like a family. Even those who come in the team from under-19 or 25, we try to make them comfortable. So the respect is mutual. We have players who are senior to me and I give them full respect.
When you go to your town, how do people treat you thereIJ
Obviously they treat me very nicely. The atmosphere is very good. The small boy who used to play cricket in the streets, went to Zimbabwe with the Indian cricket team. That’s a big thing. Everyone wants their children to play cricket now. Earlier, it wasn't like that. No one wanted their children to choose cricket as a profession. But now people feel that cricket is also a profession if you give your children proper training.
Because you have been doing well as a cricketer, people in your home town have started believing that cricket can also give their children a good lifeIJ
Exactly.
Share with us your experience with the Indian cricket team in ZimbabweIJ
It's obvious that you will learn a lot from such an exposure. In fact, wherever I go, I get to learn a lot of new things. One thing that I learnt was the importance of infrastructure and facilities. If I compare that with J&K, infrastructure is close to nil. Wherever I went, be it with Indian team or IPl team, I learnt a lot of things: How senior and international stars prepare themselves for the match, how they keep themselves fit and what kind of facilities are required for that. Facilities are very important for your growth as a player. I share all these experiences with my J&K teammates and association members whenever I meet them. I tell them what facilities are required to produce a top-class player. If you are playing for a big team, you will have all the facilities but then go back to your state team and find nothing to maintain your fitness level.
n You think your experience with the Indian team helped improve J&K's performanceIJ
Yes. Whatever I learnt, I shared that with the players, whether they were junior or senior. And I felt good when our teams did well across the age-groups. Our under-19 team didn't lose a single match this season, they won two and drew a couple of other matches. Our under-25 team also won two matches. In Ranji Trophy we did well. So performances have been coming.
Can you share some things that you told J&K playersIJ
I told them to enjoy the game. Unless you enjoy the game, you can't give your best. You chose to play cricket, so work hard on it. Focus on quality instead of quantity. There is no point spending hours without a proper plan. It won't improve your game. Whatever time you spend during practice, focus on quality. That's what the big players do.
So you made your team focus on quality cricket the whole last yearIJ
Not the whole year. The players get motivated when they know that the same Parvez Rasool who used to play with us has got selected in the Indian team, he also played in the IPl. If he can play, so can we. I am not saying it happened because of only me. They themselves worked very hard. The motivation that one day they can also play for India gave them the confidence. They played good cricket and helped the team win.
In the IPl auctions, franchises showed a lot of interest in you. Your reaction on thatIJ
It feels good. last year I was with Pune Warriors but didn't get to play that many matches. This year a couple of franchises showed interest in me. It feels good when your performances get noticed. I keep telling our boys that the most important thing is that you perform well. God will take care of other things.
This year I am with Sunrisers Hyderabad and I will try to do my best if I get chance to play.
VVS laxman is the mentor of Sunrisers Hyderabad. Have you spoken to him after the auctionIJ
No, not yet. But I hope to meet him during the camp. I think he can help me improve my batting. There are many big stars and experienced coaches there. I hope to learn a lot from them.