Sreesanth is considered lucky for the team - despite taken to the cleaners by the opposition - as he figured in India’s successful World Cup campaigns in 2007 (T20) and 2011 (ODI).
Sreesanth played only two games in India’s successful World Cup campaign in 2011 – the first against Bangladesh and the final versus Sri Lanka. He leaked 53 runs in the first match in just five overs while his eight-over spell in the final cost India 52 runs. The fact that he went wicketless in both these games is also viewed as “good luck” by the BCCI.
Sadly, BCCI’s ploy to ask the Indian team play with the 2011 World Cup jersey in the warm-up game against Pakistan on Monday didn’t bring any luck. However, the news of Sreesanth’s return has already enlivened the Indian dressing room which looked gloomy after the loss.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who once famously slapped Sreesanth for his post-match antics in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is now ready to welcome the bowler with open arms.
“Sreesanth has been a lucky charm for the Indian team,” said Harbhajan.” Every time he plays for India and conceded lots of runs at crucial junctures, we somehow managed to win those matches. It’s imperative that he is in the team during the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.”
The pacer, who is yet to regain fitness, says he is honoured to represent the country again and give away loads of runs from one end if it means helping the team’s cause.
When asked about some of his memorable performances, the pacer recalled of his performance against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2007 T20 World Cup final, where he gave away 44 runs in four overs.
BCCI’s brave act of bringing back Sreesanth for the T20 World Cup might just turn the tide in India’s favour. As they say, ‘Fortune favours the brave’!
NB: The above article is pure fiction.
(Amrut Thobbi, an engineering graduate now pursuing Masters in journalism, is an ardent cricket fan who likes to write spoofs, like the one above. His passion for writing inspired him to give up a sales and marketing job, which he does not regret. By writing on cricket, he wants to relive his dream of becoming a cricketer. He has also worked as a freelance writer in education and technology sectors)
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