I kept doing what I know the best: Parvez Rasool

Jammu & Kashim all-rounder Parvez Rasool had his share of chances. He got his call-up for the national team in 2013 for the Zimbabwe tour. He became the second cricketer after Vivek Razdan from Jammu & Kashmir to get selected for the national side, but could not get to play any game on that tour.

Rasool finally represented India in the first ODI against Bangladesh on 15 June 2014, at Mirpur. He went on to claim 2 wickets, giving away 60 runs in his quota of 10 overs.

Speaking to the reporters about his debut, Rasool said, “I was so close to have my international debut in Zimbabwe two years ago but it didn’t happen. It took another one year to play for India. I have been part of two IPL teams but number of matches I have played is still in single digit. Even games for India A have been in few numbers.”

Parvez Ghulam Rasool Zargar, representing Jammu & Kashmir in the domestic circuit, picked up the interest for the game from his father, Ghulam Rasool and brother, Asif Rasool, both of whom have played the game at competitive levels.

He also credits his first coach, Abdul Qayoom who had represented J&K, as a fast-medium bowler, in Ranji Trophy. However, the decisive influence for the young Parvez had come from none other than the legendary left-arm spinner and former Indian skipper, Bishen Singh Bedi, who had coached J&K.

Speaking to The Telegraph in 2014, Rasool had said, “Bedi Sir has changed my life for ever. He identified the hidden talent in me and his words encouraged me to chase my dream. I have no words to thank him. My job is to play well, keep scoring runs and taking wickets. It is the selectors’ job to pick players. And I’m sure my hard work will pay.”

Making his Ranji Trophy debut in the game against Himachal Pradesh on 16th November 2008, Rasool went wicket-less in the match. He, however, scored 40 runs in J&K’s first innings.

Since then the off-spinner-allrounder has featured in 46 games (81 innings) and has scored 2,689 runs at an average of 39.54, with 171 being the highest. He also has 8 centuries and 8 half-centuries to his credit.

He has also picked up 115 wickets in 72 innings at an average of 37.71, 2.99 economy rate and a 75.5 strike rate. He has six ‘5- wicket’ hauls to his credit.

He was at his best in the 2012-13 Ranji season. In 7 matches (13 innings), Rasool had scored 594 runs at an average of 54.00 with 171 as his individual best. He had 2 centuries and an equal number of half-centuries to his credit.

Bowling in 11 innings, he had taken 3 wickets at an average of 18.09, an economy rate of 2.58 and a 41.9 strike rate. His best bowling performance had been 7/41 in an innings and 9/111 in a match. He also had three 5-wicket hauls.

In  Ranji Trophy 2013-14, Rasool scored 663 runs with 2 centuries and 3 half-centuries at an average of 51 and took 27 wickets with two 5-wicket hauls in 9 matches.

Under Rasool’s captaincy, Jammu & Kashmir made it to the quarterfinals that season for the first time since 2000. He was awarded the Lala Amarnath Best All-rounder Award in the domestic circuit for his performance in Ranji Trophy season 2013-14.

This performance of Rasool paved the way for his inclusion in the India A squad for the warm-up game against the visiting England team in January 2013 and became the first ever J&K player to represent India A.

Playing for Board President’s XI, in the two-day match against the visiting Australians, Rasool claimed 7 wickets in a spell of 28.3 overs, giving away 45 runs and restricted the opposition to 241 runs. He also contributed 36 runs with the bat.

Parvez became the first J&K cricketer to be purchased by an IPL franchise. In February 2013, he was signed by the then Pune Warriors India. He made his IPL debut on 9th May 2013, against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Pune. He picked up the wicket of Jacques Kallis and finished with figures of 1/23 off 4 overs in that match.

Rasool played his next IPL match against the Mumbai Indians on 11th May 2013, in which he scored 4* and bowled one over conceding five runs. At the 2014 IPL auction, he was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 95 lakhs.

January 2015 saw him being included in the 30-men probable Indian squad for the World Cup 2015, but could not make to the final fifteen.

Ask him, how he motivated himself, waiting for an opportunity to break into the big league, with a big smile, he says, “I kept doing what I know the best. I practised even harder and knew my chance will come.”

Here is a cricketer hailing from a place where he had access to very limited infrastructure, no significant coaching facilities for guidance, no ex-players/legends to fall back on for suggestions and advises, but is fighting against all odds to make it big.