As an astute observer of bowling action, Bishan Singh Bedi, when he took over as coach of Jammu and Kashmir in 2011, was drawn immediately to the “cleanness” of Parveez Rasool’s. Impressed by his discipline and dedication, he said that Rasool is destined to become a great spinner. Rasool didn’t take the praise lightly, for, as they say, it takes one to know one.
“In my cricketing achievements, Bedi sir has had a huge role. I was a batting all-rounder, I could bowl a little bit. But Bedi sir groomed me as a bowler. When he saw me bowling at the nets, he liked it. He said a few words of praise for me. I was greatly motivated by that and resolved to work hard. He called me the best off spinner in Jammu and Kashmir, when I hadn’t even started performing. After that, I worked hard on my bowling and the results have come,” says Rasool, back at home after the recent loss to Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy.
Giving credit to Bedi for making him a more aggressive bowler, Rasool says, “In my bowling, Bedi sir would concentrate on the flight and the variation. He would say ‘if you get hit for a six, you shouldn’t change your plan. You should tempt the batsman, and try to beat them in flight’.”
Talking about his journey so far, he says, “My father was a good cricketer in his district. We are three brothers and all three of us are cricketers. We belong to a family of cricketers, so that interest was always there. There were difficulties too because there is no mahaul for cricket in Jammu. Club cricket goes on but there is a dearth of infrastructure, of grounds and facilities.”
As the captain of the Jammu and Kashmir team, he takes pride however in the performance of his team. “We have seen how many facilities there are outside, we don’t even have 10 per cent of that in my State. Despite that we are performing well, so it’s very good.”
In the ongoing Ranji season, Jammu and Kashmir has beaten Kerala, Andhra and Goa, and has lost to Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh.
Rasool has scored one century and two half-centuries, including an impressive 97 off 101 balls, in these matches, and has shone at times with the ball too.
Assessing his performance, he says, “It feels very good. But I have to work hard to surpass everyone’s expectations.”
Although he wasn’t picked for any of the games on India’s tour of Zimbabwe earlier this year, being a part of the team was a great experience in itself. “It was a dream come true. I learnt a lot about how players prepare themselves mentally, how they train, how they practise… There is nothing like a difficult task. Now that I have made it to the team, it is up to me to grab whatever opportunities come my way.”
