Abid Nabi Knocking at the doors of India's biggest sport Cricket
His Pace…… ready to change the face of Kashmir Sports
Abid Gowhar
Where there is a will, there is a way…….He had dreamt to become a fast bowler and play Cricket at the biggest level . On February 28,2006 , the 20 year old Abid Nabi resident of Bonamsar Sonawar became the first Jammu and Kashmir cricketer to represent North Zone in the Deodhar Trophy one-day tournament. On March 9,2006 he got a call from one of the national selectors Bhupinder Singh Senior to join Indian team in Mohalli for a practice session. It was team-India coach Greg Chappell and Captain Rahul Dravid, who wanted him to bowl at the nets. Abid won lot of praise from stylish middle order batsman VVS Laxman for his searing pace and booming swing. Even Rahul Dravid could not desist by saying that I am seeing a capable fast bowler abilities in this boy. He could well go on to become the first Kashmiri to play for India in near future as both Indian captian and coach have eyed him. "It was like half my dream gets fulfilled when I was given a chance to bowl to India’s top batting line up at the nets in recently concluded Mohalli Test. The dream will come true when I play for India." Says Abid Nabi.
Earlier Abid had played three-day game against the touring England side and shared the new ball and took the wicket of Andrew Strauss (Abid’s best dismissal so for). The son of a Kashmiri mason Ghulam Nabi Ahangar is knocking on the doors of India's biggest sport
Abid Nabi has got a dream and determination within his promising talent in fast bowling. It means a big heart and courage of a young boy from Kashmir to say that " I can try and bowl faster then Bret Lee and Shoiab Akhtor" It was a dream presented to him by his first and, as he keeps adding, "best", coach Mansoor Ahmed, who was his neighbour (nowadays residing in Bemina) and coach of his school cricket team, handed him the ball, asked him to become a fast bowler. "Mansoor Sir taught me the basics, but never told me that I could go this far".
Abid Nabi started to play cricket for his mohalla team from his childhood and during school days in government high school Sonwar, he played under-14 and under-16 nationals for J&K State. He became part of the organised cricket structure from a very young age when he joined S.P.higher secondary school in commerce stream. Abid has ignored his 12th standard examination twice and preferred to stay with cricket madness.
" Amateur Cricket Club(ACC) is my club team . Mansoor Ahmad was first the captain and then coach of the club. He and Ghulam Mohammad ( Senior valley cricketer and Manager of ACC ) gave me overwhelming support and told me that I just have to keep on bowling. I am following their advice meticulously "
In 2003, under-19 tournament , he took 18 wickets in four matches for his team and it was the last match of the tournament National selectors were present and his performance was highly appreciated. Abid was selected for North Zone and, subsequently, the India junior side. A five-wicket haul against the England under-19 team last year launched him on the national stage.
"I got a call from National Cricket Academy(NCA) after remaining in MRF Pace Academy (in 2003) for only two days. I learnt a lot from stints at the NCA first year under the coaching of Venkatesh Prasad (Indian’s Ex fast bowler) and last year under the coaching of Madan Lal. The most important aspect there was fitness and control over the bowling. Unfortunately in Jammu and Kashmir people just keep playing; they are not aware of the importance or science of fitness. I can now understood that the fitter I become, the faster I could bowl."
Pace is a big issue with the strapping 6'2" bowler. He believes there are many 'swing masters' in India, but no genuine fast bowler to do the damage front-on, and that's where he can fit in. "I am looking to break into the Indian team this year itself but I know I have to perform 20, 30 per cent better," says Abid Nabi. "
The fastest he has clocked is 147 kmph, but, like Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee, he makes no bones of wishing to touch the 100 mph mark. "Why only that? I would like to bowl even faster," he said with a grin. When asked about other promising cricketers of the valley Abid quoted Sameer Ali and sami-ullah (both right arm medium pacers). State team’s Ex fast bowler Abdul qayoom, Jawagal Srinath and Irfan Pathan are other fast bowlers he has got impressed with. The boy looks in a satisfied mood the way his club ACC and JKCA both are supporting him by all means.
While Abid consistently clocks 140, he hopes he can still swing the ball at will, like his hero and fast bowling idle, Kapil Dev whose bowling he was keenly watching on television at home. "I want to talk and get advice from the great cricket legend Kapil Dev. Although I I saw him once, but didn't have the courage to go up to him and speak" admitted Abid when asked whether he got any tips from his hero.
In his first season with Jammu and Kashmir, in 2004-05, Nabi picked 25 wickets in five matches. He followed it up with 15 wickets this season, and built a reputation as one of most promising speedsters in India today. His best performance so for is in a Ranji Trophy match against Rajasthan when he took nine wickets in a match for J&K. Five wickets for 39 runs in ten overs against Delhi is so for his best one-day performance
As soon as Indian print media started to put on headings " The first Kashmiri ready to play for Indian Cricket team" the crappy arguments also started to come that he is not the first kashmiri to play for India but earlier Vivek Razdan and Suresh Raina (both kashmiris) have played for India. The truth lies that Vivek Razdan and Suresh Raina are only born in Kashmir, both neither lived or brought up in Kashmir nor represented J&K state in Cricket nationals.
Vice president of J&K Cricket players Association Ranjeet kalra has strongly emphasized the need that J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) should back up Abid Nabi, morally, financially as well as politically because we have example of Surinder Singh Badal, who was twice called for Indian Camp in 2001-2002 and even Indian Captain Sarav Ganguly had said that he was the fastest left arm fast bowler in India, but………….the poor man never find a place in Indian team.
Aslam Goni, JKCA representative in BCCI and Chairman BCCI Finance Committee, while contacted over telephone said that, I am strongly talking about Abid Nabi in BCCI meetings and I feel grateful about him that his talent gets acknowledged by top crickets pandits of the country. Now that JKCA is all set to support him, I am hopeful that he will find a place in Indian Team in near future.
The yards from Sonwar Srinagar to present cricket status were difficult and the barriers many, but the lad has reached farther than any cricketer from the Kashmir valley.
