The domestic veteran who deserves his chance - Why Pankaj Singh should play in England

Pankaj Singh – Consistent performer in domestic cricket, Pankaj Singh finally got a call from the selectors

India is touring England with 6 medium pacers this time around.

There are mainstream names like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami. An experienced, equally popular, Ishant Sharma, is also a part of the squad and then there is Ishwar Pandey who is so often selected and benched.

Also there is Varun Aaron, who bowls extremely fast for Indian standards and can be exciting to watch.

The standout bowler – a domestic veteran

There is one name though which stands out – the 29-year-old domestic veteran Pankaj Singh.

He was an unlikely selection as far as fans are concerned. If one doesn’t follow Indian domestic circuits, better chances are of them not being aware of this lanky pacer.

Pankaj Singh is a first-class legend in Indian domestic cricket. In 77 first-class matches, he has taken over 300 wickets at an average of 25.

Unlike many other fast bowlers who get to play at international level even before they start playing Ranji, Pankaj has waited all his career, more than a decade for this opportunity.

He knew he deserved it. His performances screamed loud and clear that by now at the age of 29, Pankaj Singh should have been standing toe to toe with the likes of Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan, but fate is a cruel fellow.

He has surpassed the feeling of excitement that a youngster gets when he is selected to play for his country. He termed his emotions to be that of ‘relief’ when he was asked about it. He knew it had to come but the wait has been way too long.

And his emotions are not very wrong either. He has taken over 300 wickets in first-class cricket, has been the most consistent and successful fast bowler of last decade in Ranji.

Why Pankaj deserves this chance

Now let’s come back to the initial question. Why should he be picked in the playing XI with the kind of competition he is getting from his teammates?

Ishant Sharma and Pankaj Singh have had contrasting careers

Ishant Sharma has played 55 Test matches. That is a huge number of matches given that he is just 25 years of age. He should have been the top bowler in India by now. He is not. He has his flaws, still remains highly inconsistent and boasts of a bowling average of 37. Now that average is not promising after 55 Tests.

One of the major reason for Sharma’s consistent inconsistencies remains the fact that he never really got to sweat it out in first-class cricket. He was in school when he got a call from Indian team. Not that he is not talented but he could have been a lot more successful had he undergone the severe conditioning which domestic cricket provides. India and Pakistan both often are easily tempted by young fast bowlers who can run hard and bowl fast. They go for young names, boys of 17 to 19 years come in and play at highest level. They soon find it tough to cope with the pressure and required fitness levels.

Pankaj Singh has passed this blast furnace long ago, survived and succeeded. He is well seasoned, knows his limits and variations well. He never let rejection take toll on him. Even during tough times, he was focused and that made him a far better bowler with great control over his bowling.

From 2009-2014, he has been one of the top bowlers in Ranji and was instrumental in Rajasthan’s title wins in 2010 and 2011.

He is a bowling machine who can bowl all day long and keep taking wickets. Age wise, he is the most senior bowler in the squad but ironically the only one who has never played for India in Tests. If he is given a chance, he will be the most experienced first-class bowler to debut in history of Indian Test cricket.

Since he is travelling with the team, he should have full faith of the management and should be given a crucial part to play. It would be a shame and more importantly, a loss for the team which is looking to tame England in their den. Pankaj can be a sword of steel in this quest.

Even if we leave his background aside, he is tall, standing at around 6’4”, who bowls at 130-135kph but what is important is his ability to swing the ball. He is good with both the old ball and the new and with pitch and weather conditions by his side, he can be the breakthrough star of the series.

Only one thing can stop him though – a lack of opportunity to play. He should be given a chance, even one or two games out of 5 can change his career.

He just needs a chance, nay, he deserves it!