Sport | Cricket
Let's hope Kamran does not lose the sting
When Rajasthan Royals' raw talent Kamran Khan was reported for faulty action the other day, it was almost like your worst fears coming true.
- By Gautam Bhattacharyya, Deputy Sports Editor
- Published: 22:51 May 7, 2009
When Rajasthan Royals' raw talent Kamran Khan was reported for faulty action the other day, it was almost like your worst fears coming true. While appreciating the nerve of this 'wild thing' (as skipper Shane Warne refers to him) ever since he bowled those two magical overs against Kolkata Knight Riders, one somehow had a feeling that Kamran's wrist position may be going awry at the point of delivery.
IPL 2 has so far had its share of twists and turns and unlikely heroes, but none has been quite as fascinating as the Kamran Khan saga. He's been nothing short of being the Slumdog Millionaire of Indian cricket, the son of a woodcutter from Azamgarh in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, who's been pitchforked there through a strange quirk of fate and talent.
It's almost common knowledge that Darren Berry, the Royals' director of coaching, spotted him in a Twenty20 tournament in Mumbai before drafting him among the 25-odd probables to make the trip to South Africa. The team management was quick to prune the list within a week of reaching there, and while those getting the axe included a name like Mohammad Kaif, Kamran made the cut on the basis of his performance in a warm-up match.
Warne knew he had an uncut diamond at his disposal, and Kamran - who had to even sleep off nights on railway platform benches as a struggler - was handed a $24,000 contract by the reigning champions. So far, Kamran has lived up to the expectations, but this is the crucial juncture where the team needs to stand by him.
The technical committee of IPL has recommended a two-week rehab for him - and with names like SMG and Ravi Shastri there - one should be relieved that the problem has been diagnosed early.
It should, however, be intriguing to find out if he can retain the 'sting' in his bowling after the treatment.
The problem that Kamran faces at the point of delivery seems to be a malaise he has carried over from his days of tennis ball cricket - where the star bowlers have a tendency to bend the arm to derive that cut and bounce off the pitch. With right inputs from the experts, he can really develop into a menacing bowler with a sling arm action - somewhat in the mould of Lasith Malinga.
Till such time, we will have to wait and see that this whiff of fresh air is not lost on Indian cricket.
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