Former Indian fast bowler, Praveen Kumar, one of the more fascinating characters to have played for India in the last decade or so, has decided to hang his boots from all forms of the game after playing 13 years of competitive cricket. He will now only play company cricket for ONGC and desires to become a bowling coach.
As quoted in The Indian Express, Praveen said, “I have no regrets. I played and bowled with my heart. There are good bowlers waiting in the wings back in UP and I don’t want their careers to be affected. If I play, one spot would go; it’s important to think of other players’ future as well. My time is over and I have accepted it. I’m happy and thankful to God for giving me this chance. I want to become a bowling coach. People know that I have this knowledge. I can pass on this experience to the young ones.”
He knew he had the art to bend the ball as he willed it, he knew he was street smart enough to push himself against the best and at times would be left bemused when batsmen successfully took him on. On his best days, he could make the ball talk: he would deliver from close to the stumps and get the ball to curve back in late. He could bowl yorkers, slower ones and had the self-confidence to try bowling short at the likes of Ricky Ponting in Australia. There were many days to remember, some to forget as well.
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The sad times came when Kumar was left in the wilderness due to an illness after the 2011 world cup. After a vulnerable period, he was back on track with help from Rohit Sharma, who convinced of his skills, got him an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians. “He is my friend, brother. Won’t ever forget his help all my life.”
Hailed as a “magician” by Manoj Prabhakar, the UP pacer made his India debut in 2007 and played his last game in 2012. Praveen picked 27 wickets in six Tests, with a five-for at Lord’s. Despite being the crucial bowler for India on that tour, he never played a Test again. The year after he couldn’t make to the 2011 World Cup due to an injury – that miss still bites him- he was hit by dengue and had to miss out cricket for a while.
But after IPL revival, he made his peace with the way his career went in the last two years. Kumar revealed, “I have decided to retire from cricket. The decision is not taken in haste, I gave a thought over it and I felt it was a right time to say goodbye to the sport which gave me so much. I want to thank my family, BCCI, UPCA, Rajeev (Shukla) sir for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams.”
