ICL is a boon for him but Tests still a dream
Posted on Apr 01, 2008 at 12:28 | Updated Apr 02, 2008 at 21:46
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Tags: cricket, cricket specials, abhishek jhunjhunwala
New Delhi: Playing for the country is what every young cricketer dreams of and it is not easy convincing oneself to drift away from that goal, especially when one is very close to achieving it.
Despite having the potential and being regarded one of the brightest prospects for donning India colours, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, chose to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which ruled him out of selection for India and the Bengal Ranji Trophy team. He may be enjoying his stint but there was a tinge of sadness when he spoke on the subject.
"I wouldn't say that I don't feel bad because as a kid you always want to play for the country. And if that is being taken away from you, it hurts a bit," confessed Jhunjhunwala, in an exclusive interview with Cricketnext.com.
However, the Bengal batsman said he didn't regret joining the ICL.
"There are no regrets at all regarding my deciding to play in the ICL, because at the end of the day I am getting a lot of exposure here and people are getting to know my name, and watch me play on television. That was something which I was looking for all my life," said Jhunjhunwala, who played 25 first-class matches and scored 872 runs at an average of 37.91 before a change in career.
The 25-year-old, who turned out for India ‘A’, was reportedly left disheartened when despite doing well on the domestic circuit, he was not picked for the second-string Indian side next time.
"Yes, it is true that I could have waited for some more time, especially as age was on my side, but to be honest, I got a very good deal here (in ICL). And at the end of the day, you have got to think about your life too.
"It is very important to secure your life at some point of time. You can't just hope that you will play for the country some day and hence, miss out on bigger opportunities," admitted the right-handed batsman, whose immediate goal is to score runs and help his Kolkata Tigers team (who are in the semifinals) win the ongoing ICL tournament.
Even after the launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Abhishek did not see any reason to feel bad.
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