Faiz Fazal was preparing for club cricket on a murky morning in a little known English town when his father called and revealed that he was picked for India’s limited-overs tour to Zimbabwe. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, the 30-year old from Nagpur felt that the selection came as a ‘massive surprise’ to him.
A delighted Fazal affirmed, “This is a massive surprise for me. For two years before this, I kept looking up to see if I was picked every time a squad was announced. But, I was disappointed each time.”
He added, “I've tried to consciously steer away from thoughts about selection, so to receive this news early morning from India is a big surprise, but I'm happy. It's funny how when you stop expecting something you have always been chased, things start to happen.”
With quite a few of the experienced batsmen like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan being given a break, the trip to Zimbabwe should serve as an ideal platform for the left-hander.
Admitting that turning 30 had made him give up hope of representing his country, Fazal enthused, “At 30, you don't really know if the chance has bypassed you or not, but I had the belief. That has kept me going. So, this is a sweet moment and I'll cherish every minute of the experience.”
When asked about the prospect of playing under one of India’s finest limited-overs captains, he said, “It's a huge thrill, no doubt. Apart from playing a few games against MS Dhoni, I haven't really had a chance to interact with him. That's something I'm looking forward to.”
Also Read: Faiz Fazal: 7 things to know about the Vidarbha batsman
At a time when there is stiff competition for batting spots in the Indian team, Fazal credited the match-winning Irani Trophy century as the reason behind his selection. Chasing a mammoth 480 against a strong Mumbai outfit, the opening batsman displayed enormous temperament to help Rest of India to an improbable victory.
The Vidarbha batsman noted, “That Irani knock gave me immense satisfaction. I think that turned it around for me, probably. Obviously, if you do well against the Ranji Trophy champions, you will get noticed. So, the plan was for me to bat through which I nearly did. So, that knock was a big confidence booster for me.”
He reminisced that sharing the dressing room with experienced stalwarts such as Wasim Jaffar and Subramaniam Badrinath strengthened his game. Fazal asserted, “Flashy knocks may give you the thrill, but ultimately I wanted to score big runs. That was ingrained into me. Getting a chance to work with a few like Jaffar and Badrinath was an amazing experience.”
After being a part of Rajasthan Royals for the first few seasons, he was dropped in 2012. Reflecting on that experience, Fazal believed, "That was an eye-opener. To be left out of a team like the Royals was tough, but I kept expecting to be picked in the IPL and missed out on opportunities to play competitive cricket between March and September.”
Not putting in his name for the 2016 IPL auction, Faiz worked on developing his technique in Durham’s North East Premier League. He hoped that the stint will help him adjust to the rigors of international cricket.
Fazal maintained, "This year, I thought irrespective of whether I am picked or not, I will apply and seek clearance to play in England and so far it has been a wonderful experience. I hope this experience will benefit me a great deal in Zimbabwe.“
India are scheduled to play 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is against the hosts at the Harare Sports Club starting from June 11.
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