Andra Pradesh confirm signing Mohammad Kaif

Mohammad Kaif

Former Indian international Mohammad Kaif is all set to play for Andhra Pradesh from the 2014/15 Ranji season, Andhra Cricket Association’s director MSK Prasad confirmed. Speaking on signing the 33-year-old, who had a disappointing outing with Uttar Pradesh in the 2013/14 tournament, Prasad said his experience would matter a lot to the team.

Prasad, a former Indian wicket-keeper himself, said: "For a side like ours with an average age of 22, we were looking to bring in someone experienced who could lift the spirit of the side. Kaif is one guy who can build that spirit within the team. That's the reason we have picked him."

"Our youngsters need a role model to look up to, one guy who they could look up to and walk up to for anything they require. We couldn't have asked for a better person than Kaif for this role. He is someone who has achieved the maximum with minimum cricket.”

Having already spent some time in the academy, Kaif, who has more than 3300 international runs, was impressed with the facilities available in the ACA and said that he is “looking forward” to contributing to the side.

Kaif, who is better remembered for his Natwest series heroics with Yuvraj Singh in 2002 final against England, averaged only 16.56 runs per dismissal for his state side last season. In all, he scored 265 runs in 11 matches, without a single half-century to his name.

A seasoned Ranji campaigner, he has 9277 runs in 160 first-class matches including 18 centuries. He also contested and lost in the 2014 general elections.

It is only recently that the board appointed R Sridhar as their head coach. Sridhar was the fielding coach of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning side in 2012 and is currently associated with Indian Premier League side Kings XI Punjab.