Not a Kaif or a Rhodes, but a very fit Powar
Powar makes a big impact
Nihal Koshie
MUMBAI: Red-frame, anti-glare glasses and crystal ear stud... he has been one of the most colourful players in the Indian team. But Ramesh Powar brings a lot more to the table. He is one of the best utility cricketers of late, but now he is bent on improving his profile.
Armed with unshakable confidence, the Mumbai’s talisman has daringly flighted the ball with telling effect and has pulverised the batsmen - English and Pakistani - to their downfall. Few cricketers in the world do that to a Shahid Afridi or a Andrew Flintoff. But Powar is a player without the fear of failure. Within his broad frame lurks a lion heart.
Erapalli Prasanna, former Test spinner, feels Powar’s asset is his wicket-taking mindset. “He is not afraid to flight the ball and invite a batsman to hit him. In one-day cricket, it pays to be an attacking spinner.”
Mumbai skipper Nilesh Kulkarni and coach Karsan Ghavri feel that Powar’s rolly-polly looks are very deceptive. “He is a very flexible cricketer,” they say. No offence intended to Harbhajan Singh here, the Mumbai player is well on the way to becoming India’s best off-spinner. Even without a visible doosra.
On Thursday, he was retained in the 15-member squad for the West Indies tour. Powar is ready for the challenges. “I do not put pressure on myself. I do not get worked up. I just enjoy the game and put in my best efforts,” he states.
Powar’s carefree approach is a far cry from his attitude when he first played for India in March 2004. “When I made my debut I was tense,” he recalls.
Powar is happy to be on board for the West Indies tour but he wants be there again next March. loads of wickets and runs, he knows are what will get him there.
“I want to play better and better. Every cricketer wants to be part of the World Cup squad and that is what I wish for,” Powar tells DNA. “If you perform you will pick yourself,” he says, revealing a simple philosophy.
Powar first played for India against Pakistan in March 2004 but played only one match after that - in Peshawar before being dropped. This time around, he has played nine matches and is set to increase the tally.
“Everything right seems to be happening for me,” Powar says, adding that he is able to figure out ways and means of getting a batsman out faster now. “Two years in domestic cricket between by debut series and now has helped me mature.”
Powar now vows to get fitter if not slimmer. “Fitness is not a worry. I can play 100 overs without tiring. But in international cricket it pays to be supremely fit. I can’t be a Mohd Kaif or a Jonty Rhodes, but I can be a very fit Ramesh Powar,” he says.
Powar makes a big impact
Nihal Koshie
MUMBAI: Red-frame, anti-glare glasses and crystal ear stud... he has been one of the most colourful players in the Indian team. But Ramesh Powar brings a lot more to the table. He is one of the best utility cricketers of late, but now he is bent on improving his profile.
Armed with unshakable confidence, the Mumbai’s talisman has daringly flighted the ball with telling effect and has pulverised the batsmen - English and Pakistani - to their downfall. Few cricketers in the world do that to a Shahid Afridi or a Andrew Flintoff. But Powar is a player without the fear of failure. Within his broad frame lurks a lion heart.
Erapalli Prasanna, former Test spinner, feels Powar’s asset is his wicket-taking mindset. “He is not afraid to flight the ball and invite a batsman to hit him. In one-day cricket, it pays to be an attacking spinner.”
Mumbai skipper Nilesh Kulkarni and coach Karsan Ghavri feel that Powar’s rolly-polly looks are very deceptive. “He is a very flexible cricketer,” they say. No offence intended to Harbhajan Singh here, the Mumbai player is well on the way to becoming India’s best off-spinner. Even without a visible doosra.
On Thursday, he was retained in the 15-member squad for the West Indies tour. Powar is ready for the challenges. “I do not put pressure on myself. I do not get worked up. I just enjoy the game and put in my best efforts,” he states.
Powar’s carefree approach is a far cry from his attitude when he first played for India in March 2004. “When I made my debut I was tense,” he recalls.
Powar is happy to be on board for the West Indies tour but he wants be there again next March. loads of wickets and runs, he knows are what will get him there.
“I want to play better and better. Every cricketer wants to be part of the World Cup squad and that is what I wish for,” Powar tells DNA. “If you perform you will pick yourself,” he says, revealing a simple philosophy.
Powar first played for India against Pakistan in March 2004 but played only one match after that - in Peshawar before being dropped. This time around, he has played nine matches and is set to increase the tally.
“Everything right seems to be happening for me,” Powar says, adding that he is able to figure out ways and means of getting a batsman out faster now. “Two years in domestic cricket between by debut series and now has helped me mature.”
Powar now vows to get fitter if not slimmer. “Fitness is not a worry. I can play 100 overs without tiring. But in international cricket it pays to be supremely fit. I can’t be a Mohd Kaif or a Jonty Rhodes, but I can be a very fit Ramesh Powar,” he says.