Faiz Fazal

Faiz Fazal's name comprises of two great historical figures of the subcontinent- legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz and vizier to the Mugal emperor Abul Fazal. While we are not sure how poetic Faiz Fazal is or how his political acumen are. We are sure of one thing that his batting is poetic and looks strategically crafted much like a political ploy.

A cricketer's life is nothing but useless until he has found his worth. But what defines that worth? Is it defined by how many runs has he scored for his local team? Or what has been his performance in a particular cash-rich league? I would say, to each their own! In a country of a billion where at least half of them want to be the next Sachin Tendulkar, dreams crash faster than anything. But there are some who are patient! They know their worth from the beginning. They might not be flashy, camera-magnet, league-hero swashbuckling six hitter but they always are the cricketer even a country full of talent deserves. Faiz Fazal is one of those. Had he not been one, he won't have got a call to don the sky blue at the age of 30 for a team which is way too fascinated by the term youth.

Born on September 7 1985 in Nagpur, Faiz Fazal had always idolized Raul Dravid and was lucky to play alongside him in the IPL but since 2011 no team has showed interest in him. He has not more than 12 matches and 2 innings to showcase as his IPL record. But that did not deter him as in an interview Faiz accepted how he worked hard on his fitness and game to prove a point in the all-important domestic season. Riding on his 559 runs in 8 matches, Vidarbha reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 Ranji Trophy. But more than the Ranji success, it was his masterclass for Rest of India in the Irani Trophy that caught the eye of the selectors. His 127 which required 280 balls and meant that he stayed there in the middle for 420 minutes was no mean feat. Needless to add that his effort was a major factor in his side surpassing a huge 480-run target.

Fazal's story is also indicative of the fact that the IPL might be sure shot short cut to get recognized but the the sagacious selection committee of India keeps an eye on the domestic season as well. The left-hander batsman has a ripe brain and will like to use it to effect when he joins an otherwise fairly young squad under the charismatic leadership of Dhoni for India's tour of Zimbabwe.

Abhishek Chaudhary