Captain Parvez Rasool sees Jammu & Kashmir’s quarterfinal against Karnataka as his team’s biggest match till date. Despite Karnataka’s interest to play the game in Bengaluru, J&K insisted that the match be played at their backyard as scheduled.
“We didn’t want to miss this great opportunity,” Rasool began in interaction with DH. “Hosting the quarterfinal is a special moment. Karnataka have so many star players and this a chance for our kids and youngsters to see them play live. All these days, they watched them on television. Matches like these are a big boost for J&K cricket,” he said of the game to be played in Gandhi Memorial Science College ground from Thursday.
The political unrest in the valley hit J&K’s pre-season preparations. The team moved to Baroda for their preparatory camp. It wasn’t an ideal start to the tournament but the players showed great grit, said Rasool.
“Cricket is the most loved sport here. You see children on the streets playing the game almost every day. There is a lot of passion. As a senior player, I told my team-mates that whatever be the situation, we need to give back to the people here,” he offered.
His team did respond to Rasool’s words as J&K, with six wins, one loss and two draws, logged 39 points to top Group C. “It’s a proud moment for us that we are in the quarterfinals. I led the team when we reached the last-eight stage last time in the 2013-14 season. J&K cricket have witnessed drastic changes in the last two years. We have managed to spot talents from districts. Our hard work of two years has paid off,” he said.
Rasool pointed out the positive influence of former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan’s role as a mentor. “With the amount of experience he (Irfan) has, it comes as a blessing that he is a mentor to so many youngsters in the team. He talks to the youngsters and fills them with confidence. He has played a huge role in making them mentally strong. If we are ready to take on any side today, it’s because of the fearless attitude instilled by Irfan bhai,” he explained.