Mohammed Mudhasir - Man from fast lane

[rkt.india]

From making it to the final squad of an IPL team, Mudhasir, whose flowing actions coincides with his rhythmic action; Mudhasir has gone through crests and troughs during his short career. Touted among the top talents of the Valley in fast bowling, Mudhasir is still work in progress. Six feet tall, with puckered eyebrows and a flowing beard, wearing snow white clothes, he is ready to deliver: not a sermon but his sharp in-swingers and in-cutters. Mohammad Mudhasir Gujree, 24, is one of the upcoming fast bowlers of the Valley with loads of tricks in his armoury. He may not be as fast as his compatriots, but can swing it either way and can reverse the old effectively. His pace hovers around 135-140 kph with Mcgrathesque accuracy. Mudhasir is already a familiar figure in the cricketers for becoming the first cricketer from Kashmir to make a cut in the final squad of an IPL team. His inclusion in Kings XI Punjab for IPL season two shot him to fame despite not getting a game. The tall speedster had a lot to learn for he got an opportunity to be up close with his favorite fast bowler: Brett Lee. Like every cricketer Mudhasir dreams to play international cricket. To turn his dreams into reality might not be all that easy, but the Hazratbal cricketers all the ingredients to reach to the higher levels. It was on the Hazratbal roads Mudhasir picked up the trade, and slow and steadily he developed passion for cricket that saw him become a professional. A devout Muslim, Mudhasir’s first brush with fame came in 2006 when Javagal Srinath led team constituted to expand fast bowling talent pool in India chose Mudhasir from the Valley to be trained in MRF pace foundation, Chennai. Mudhasir recalls the prize moment, “I was selected by Javagal Srinath and T. Shekhar for MRF pace foundation when they came to the Valley to pick some fast bowlers,” says Mudhasir who alongwith two Jammu boys trained under some great fast bowlers of yesteryears for two weeks. Mudhasir’s first step towards professionalism came when he represented u-19 state tea, in a three-day match in Koch Bihar. The paceman proved his mettle in either versions of the game which kick-started his cricketing journey. In domestic cricket, Mudhasir plies his tricks for Amateur Cricket Club (ACC) housed at Sher-I-Kashmir Cricket Stadium, Sonawar. He started his career with ACC Blues before graduating tog for ACC Reds. Mudhasir’s passion for the game can be comprehended by the fact that the club doesn’t provide him any match fees. He is happy playing for the club though. “I love playing for the club that has some top names featuring for it,” says Mudhasir. In 2008, Mudhasir made real strides in his career finding a place in state’s senior one-day team. “Selectors recognized my talent and I proved them right. I delivered hundred percent. And I worked hard to bring home the point that Kashmiris are full of talent,” says Mudhasir, whose debut match came against Himachal Pradesh. From then on Mudhasir, having experience of two first-class matches thus far, has been always on the fringes of the selection. Mudhasir reckons playing at Ranji level gives cricketers financial security. “Forty-thousand per match is good, besides we get to play some tough cricket. We earn fame and are exposed to different conditions and talents,” says Mudhasir. Mudhasir’s big day came when Kings XI Punjab selected him one of their U-22 player. He didn’t play a single game but he didn’t return without profits. Thanks to some useful tips from Lee, Mudhasir had to make some adjustments to his action. “He told me to modify the action a little bit and advised me to do a lot of gym to be hundred-percent fit,” says Mudhasir, adding his bowling action is now somewhat like Lee’s. Presently, Mudhasir is graduating at Physical College, Ganderbal, and hopes to complete his Masters in the same subject. He cannot think of his career other than a professional cricketer. But there are many hurdles to make his dream come true. “There is no recognition of talent in Kashmir. People neglect you and you end-up wasting your talent,” says Mudhasir. Mudhasir remembers quite vividly how he was noticed by Sanjeev Kumar, a national selector, as a dynamic fast bowler. Kumar, according to Mudhasir, urged selectors to play him at Ranji level, but no one paid attention. As of now, Mudhasir has fallen behind the likes of Samiullah Beigh, Aabid Nabi and Sameer Ali in the pecking order. Mudhasir isn’t done, though. His endeavours are as intact as ever. “I want to play for India.” He knows the journey to reach his ultimate is going to be very tough. The likes of Abid and Beigh, despite having all that it takes to play for India, have failed to make a big jump from domestic cricket. “I can only hope and put my best effort to make realise my dream. I know it is very difficult but not impossible,” says Mudhasir. Like most of the state cricketers, Mudhasir feels the players are hard done by Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). “There is dearth of turfs, no indoor practicing facilities and no district-level selection is being done,” says Mudhasir. This worries him a lot as he sees it sheer wastage of incredible talent of fast bowling in Kashmir. “Kashmir has nursery of fast bowlers. We have good pace bowlers, bowling well above 130 kphs. I myself bowl between 135 and 140 kphs. But the problem is we don’t get platform and facilities to excel” says Mudhasir. The six months of winter doesn’t help the cricketers either. After a lull of six-months, it is very difficult for cricketers to find their rhythm in the very next season. What is the solution? Mudhasir gives us two. “You can arrange some tournaments outside the valley, it can be Jammu. And you can also provide us indoor facilities where we can practice if not play. As we know there is no dearth of funds with JKCA.” There is no denying the fact there is immense talent, but Mudhasir emphasizes the need for channelizing the talent pool. From making it to an IPL team and having to experience crests and troughs during his brief career, Mudhasir has seen it all. Mudhasir as a fast bowler is still a work in progress.

He has taken 29 wickets at 21 this season.

[kumar713]

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