Veteran Jharkhand spinner Shahbaz Nadeem who played just one Test for India before getting overlooked has been included in the standby players for the upcoming England series. The BCCI had earlier announced the squad for the first two Tests. In an exclusive chat with OneCricket, the left-arm spinner talks about his India debut, IPL and much more.
How are you feeling to be included in the squad?
I have just got the call-up and my only focus is to go there and be with the team. I want to give my best in whatever the opportunities I get from the management.
Talk to us about IPL.
All the players are very excited and they are striving to give their best. We have been away from cricket for quite a long time now so we are pretty excited to get back in action.
How did you keep up your fitness game during COVID-19?
As you know there wasn’t any cricket going on so all of us were putting in an extra effort towards our fitness. I used to workout at home and running in the nearby campus.
Talk to us about your journey before getting the India cap.
Look some players play for the country early while some have to struggle a bit. My debut took time but that has actually helped me to be matured enough with my bowling. The experience of playing at the domestic level for so long has helped me in a different way. When I made my debut, I was not that nervous because I had been playing cricket for a very long time. I was more of excited to represent my country.
How is David Warner as captain?
David Warner is someone who always gives his best. He used to be in the game earlier when he just played as a pure batsman and now leads from the front after donning the captain’s hat. He interacts with all the players and gives his input to one and all. It feels good when you see that your captain is pretty involved in the game. You get that confidence.
What difference do you feel between MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Warner’s captaincy?
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni have different ways of expressing themselves. While Virat plays more aggressive cricket, Dhoni is calm but both the players are committed towards the team they play whether IPL or India. Talking about the captaincy of these three players Dhoni keeps himself cool, Kohli is a bit aggressive and wants his team to dominate the opposition. Warner is also pretty aggressive and wants to remain ahead of the opponents in the game.
Talk to us about your Vijay Hazare record of 8/10 vs Rajasthan
Actually, I didn’t realise that I have achieved that milestone. I was bowling good and got wickets gradually. In fact I didn’t even realise that I have taken a hat trick because two wickets came on the last two balls of an over and the third one on the first ball of the next over. The scorer later told me about the feat at the end of the match.
Competing with other left-arm spinners
Honestly, it’s a good competition. Now we all know that we have to keep our game a level up. All of us have the realisation that we have to perform consistently. It is a healthy competition and helps us grow as a player.
Are you focusing on batting as well?
Yes, I’m also concentrating on my batting. My mind setup is to to stay at the crease for a longer time and negotiate as many deliveries as I can while being in the middle.
How did you feel about India’s famous Gabba win?
It was a great win for the team especially after the struggles that the side had to face on the tour. The players were young but showed good character. The players who won the match have played with us in India A, so it feels really good. It’s a good win for sure.
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