Soumya reveals Wasim Jaffer’s hand behind his making a cut in WC
Image : Collected
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh batsman Soumya Sarkar credited Wasim Jaffer to transform his batting stating that following his method he went on to score country’s lone double hundred in List A-game.
Ahead of the last World Cup, Soumya Sarkar, the Bangladesh opener got rid of his lean patch by smashing a hundred against Legends of Rupganj and following that up with an even more brutal double hundred against Skeikh Jamal Dhamondi Club to signal his return to form ahead of global event.
Soumya, who scored a record-breaking unbeaten 208 to help Abahani Limited clinch their 20th Dhaka Premier League title and in the process he had silenced his critics and doubters regarding his form and the ability to play a long inning as his selection for the World Cup looked to be doubtful.
His dip in form in the DPL had prompted Abahani's experienced overseas campaigner Wasim Jaffer to have a look at him in the nets and impart his knowledge to the left-hander during an extensive net session at the indoor academy on couple of occasion.
‘’I used to see him [Wasim] batting, he plays spin very well, he gets a lot of time to play. One day during a practice I asked Sujon Bhai that I want to talk with him or want to do one or two sessions with him. Sujon Bhai told me that no problem I'll tell him about it. Then I had three sessions with him personally to practice in the academy field. He used to come from the hotel and suggested me about how to play against spin and also for pace,’’ Soumya told Cricfrenzy during a Facebook live show.
‘’As I told earlier that you have to believe in that person while taking advice. He told me good things but I have to see that if I can take that thing or it will go with me or not or with my playing style.
So, I tried in the first two days in the net but it wasn't going with me. Also, I wasn't able to confront him about it that it's actually not going with me, so, what can I do. I didn't get that courage to say. So, when I play in the match I used to play in my own batting style. Then he used to say what are you doing, I have told you one style and you're playing another and I also couldn't tell him that Jaffer Bhai it's not going with me, I'm not comfortable with it. In the next match, I told him, Jaffer Bhai let the batting style be the same you just give me a signal from the outside, I will get the signal just by hearing your voice and I will remember,’’ he said.
‘’Before the 200 runs match I had a century in the previous match where he told me that it was fine today and he gave me signal many times on that day. And the next match was our final match, if we wouldn't win that then we will not be champion and the opposition gave us a target of 300 plus. At that time I was confused, in which style I should play as we had to chase 300 plus run. There was one pressure if we don't win we will not be champion and secondly, if the top order doesn't score big runs then this chasing this kind of target will become impossible, it becomes too tough. So I thought about his playing style, that I will not leave, I will play like that for 10-15 overs. Then I will see what happens. I will think later whether I can cover or not. Then I play 10 over normally. After then when I became set then it became easy for me to play,’’ he said.
‘’Then he came and told me you didn't have done anything which I told you. I told him that due to pressure I forgot everything I played in my batting style,’’ he concluded.
