'I will keep playing my natural game'

Tue, Nov 3 05:59 AM

At practice, Yusuf Pathan repeatedly changed t-shirts, switched nets to extend his stint with the bat, and then sent the ball into the adjacent golf course on the circumference of the palace building at Motibaug. Yusuf doesn't care that he will be wearing white flannels in Baroda's Ranji Trophy opener against Delhi on Tuesday, nor is he bothered that it's a red ball and the game is spread over four days. His unflinching belief in his brand remains despite the format of the game.

"I know I have to make my comeback into the Indian one-day team from four-day matches, and I'll do it by playing attacking and aggressive cricket. That's how I have scored centuries for my state, and I'll continue. People have asked me how does it feel to play the longer version after my T20 exploits. They ask if I will still hit big shots. My answer is 'yes,that's my style'," he says.

"In India, there is very little of T20 and one-day cricket in the domestic structure. So any player who has come up has been from the Ranji Trophy. That's how I first earned my reputation. Purists might not like it — a lot of my shots look crude to them, but every cricketer plays his cricket in all seriousness and with a lot of calculation. If there's a shot that can be played, and it's in my area of strength, I will hit it."

Baroda coach Paras Mhambrey, too, says he will back Yusuf to play his natural game. "A player like him can snatch the match away from the opposition in a session. I've always encouraged him to play his natural game." Delhi are hoping to play on his patience in the Ranji season opener. When asked about that, Yusuf merely smiles. "I'd rather let my bat do the talking."

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