'Waqar did complete assessment and said 'he is...': Ex-KKR Team Director on how Mukesh Kumar had impressed PAK legend
Recalling the Mukesh Kumar's journey to India selection, former Kolkata Knight Riders team director revealed how the fast bowler had once left Pakistan bowling legend Waqar Younis absolutely impressed.
None of the players from the T20 World Cup squad were picked by the BCCI for the three-match ODI series against South Africa starting Thursday in Lucknow. Shikhar Dhawan has been given the responsibility to lead the side with the team almost the same as the one he led in West Indies a few months back, but there two new names that were added to the list - Rajat Patidar and Mukesh Kumar - both of whom have been in terrific form in domestic circuit. Recalling the latter's journey to India selection, former Kolkata Knight Riders team director Joy Bhattacharjya revealed how Mukesh had once left Pakistan bowling legend Waqar Younis absolutely impressed.
The story Joy recalled during his interaction with Cricbuzz ahead of the start of the ODI series was from the 'Vision 2020' campaign which BCCI president and former joint-secretary of Cricket Association of Bengal, Sourav Ganguly, had started to help young Bengal players get exposure and top-class coaching.
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Mukesh, as he recalled, was part of the camp and had managed to impress former Bengal cricketer, Joydeep Mukherjee in the pre-trials before impressing Waqar as well in the trials the next day.
“He is an amazing player and the back story is just as fascinating. He is from Gopalganj. His father wanted him to join the Central Reserve Police Force. He tried three times and didn't get in. But the best story was related to be by the director of CAB. Waqar Younis was set to come to Kolkata to have a look at players and there was a pre-trial held just to identify some of the players,” Joy said.
“After the trial was over, this one kid walks up to Joydeep as says, 'Will you allow me to bowl just one ball in the nets'. He didn't get a chance to bowl because there was so many other players and he was from no club. He bowls that one ball, he likes him and is asked to bowl another and Joydeep thinks this kid has something in him. Next day, Joydeep has some work and Waqar did the complete assessment and said, 'This is the only guy...he's the best guy playing'.”
Joy then revealed the story of how Bengal cricket had helped Mukesh he is today and how the fast bowler repaid faith by picking 20 wickets in the 202½2 Ranji Trophy season where Bengal had reached the semis.
“Then he gets into the Bengal squad but has nowhere to stay. CAB puts him up in the Eden Gardens. Kamlesh Jain, who incidentally was the CAB physio and is now for the Indian team, said that he was so weak that he couldn't even lift 10 kgs. So they put him on a diet and a year later he bowls to put Bengal into the Ranji Trophy final. So not only does a player need luck, it takes a village to build a player.”