The indispensable power called Yusuf Pathan

There are three kinds of men in sport. The first kind set the stage on fire right away and live up to the expectations. The second kind impresses the audience immediately on the arrival, but fizz off after a few performances! Then there are others, who come into the stage with a lot of promise, fail repeatedly, get thrown out, regroup themselves, get another chance and use it to the fullest.

World Cricket has seen a lot of players who belong to all the three kinds. Most of the prodigies (an Indian connection here is Sachin Tendulkar) belong to the first kind, while there are hundreds of cases that belong to the second genre, where players lose their plot early in the career. The most prominent, Indian case, which comes right to my mind, is the talented leg spinner, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan.

The most fascinating of sportsmen, unarguably, will have to be the last of the three types. There is a certain drama attached to such players’ lives. There is a lot of excitement, dynamism, defiance, retribution, disenchantment and bravery in their career. Two of world’s best bowlers right now, Graeme Swann and Dale Steyn belong to this category. How wrong would I be, if I don’t find such characteristics in Swann and Steyn?

The rise of Yusuf Pathan in the last couple of months reaffirms my faith about such players. Of all players in town, this kind is the most indomitable as they are the ones who’ve witnessed the rise and fall in their careers, more than others.

These players are extremely dangerous, when in sound touch! That is exactly the frame, where Yusuf Pathan is in now. After his stupendous knocks against New Zealand and South Africa it is going to be extremely tough for M.S. Dhoni to ignore him and keep him away from the playing XI, even if the likes of Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gambhir make their way into the national team.

What Yusuf Pathan brings to the table is something special and absolutely different from what others do. His younger brother, Irfan Pathan, said on his debut about, how lucky he has been despite Yusuf being more talented than him. Irfan slowly went off the radar after the initial success, while Yusuf finally looks to be at home with international cricket, after all the anguish he had to deal with, early in his career.

Even though Virat Kohli has reaped a lot of success at No.3 for India in the last year or so, Yusuf Pathan, in my opinion, has done enough to keep Kohli out of the World Cup matches. Up until, this South Africa tour, Kohli must have been confident of playing in the main XI after the regulars return. Even in the recently concluded series, only Kohli and Yusuf sparkled for the visitors. But, Yusuf’s sparkle was a little more dynamic than Kohli’s.

When Yusuf displayed his array of strokes at Cape Town and Centurion, he also showed tons and tons of grit. He was, possibly, playing the toughest bowling attack in the world, in their back yard. He was ready to get hit on the body. The bouncers tended to be his weakness for a long time, in his short international career. The weakness was used very well even in IPL, the place where Yusuf Pathan became force. Even the likes of Praveen Kumar, used it well against him earlier in the year.

Even today, Pathan is not well equipped against bouncers. He might get out again for the short ball. But, that wouldn’t be stopping him from performing on the big stage. After the hundred against New Zealand at Bangalore, the biggest of his inhibitions he had in his career, the lack of confidence and fear of failure, went out of the window.

The confidence he carried into the African tour was very visible with his performance. 3 innings and he converted 2 of them fantastically well. The 59 in Cape Town was well worth its weight in gold. As the game was slowly tilting in favor of the home team, Pathan blitz took India home. The 105 at Centurion would probably go down as one of the best 100s scored on a losing cause, in South Africa. He lifted, India from a hopeless situation to a winning position, single-handedly.

These two innings also ensured that Dhoni confidently talked about India’s chance of chasing huge scores during the World Cup. When the captain exudes so much confidence on a player, it tells a tale about his form and talent.

With the way things are going for Yusuf Pathan, it would be extremely hard for Dhoni to keep him out. It would hence mean that, Kohli will have to accept the harsh fact that he would have to sit out, when the top order trio return to hold their spots once again. Kohli has time and again proved that he is a quality talent in the top of the order. But, at No.7, Kohli is a wasted talent and when compared with what Yusuf can offer at No.7, the arguments get even more tilted in favor of Yusuf Pathan.

Add to that, the number of overs, Pathan can give Dhoni every game! This aspect of Pathan’s cricket is as crucial as his power-hitting. It increasingly looks like India will use the 7 batsmen strategy during this World Cup. The part timers in Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan will have to definitely fill in for the fifth bowler’s slot. There in, lie strengths of Yusuf Pathan!

Batsmen like Yusuf Pathan, can’t be consistent because their brand of cricket don’t allow them to be patient. The risk factor is very high in this case. But, that is a risk, worth taking, especially during a World Cup that happens in a country where the pitches are slow, low and flat with no lateral movement! And, do we need to even mention the size of the playing area?

Yusuf Pathan’s life has been as quizzical as his batting. None had an idea about what Yusuf Pathan can do, when the first IPL auctions took place. Three years later, he is the second costliest cricketer to be sold! Every time, he has walked in, no one knows what to expect! He either fires big canons or goes off within a few minutes after he has walked in. The IPL has given him everything. It’s close to 30 months since he made his debut for India. 31 knocks during this period, tells a tale about how much he has been on the wrong side of the things. 2 of his last 4 outings have seen him score hundreds in absolutely different conditions, as different as chalk and cheese.

With the World Cup coming home in less than a month’s time, the timing of Yusuf’s comeback has been absolutely perfect. When Yusuf started to play cricket, he would not have aimed to make a T20 century for Rajasthan Royals or make a huge contract with Knight Riders. Like any cricketer born in this soil, Yusuf’s aim would have been to earn an India cap. His skills are being noticed all over the world now. Sides around the world are taken aback by the way he manages to change the game in just a few overs. Smith went on to say, that he was waiting for the Pathan blitz to come to an end, for he had no idea how to stop it!

Yusuf Pathan has certainly come off age. He is everywhere now! Be it on the leading cricket websites or on FaceBook or on TV! People love fierce competitors. People love fighters who can provide raw, unadulterated action. People love honest players. He is a cocktail of all these characteristics that people would love to see in their heroes. He is, indeed, the toast of the nation now. There is so much frenzy that the moment, Indian team lands from South Africa, the press mobs Yusuf to give interviews, immediately! Yusuf Pathan now sells!

Kids want a piece of Yusuf Pathan. The media is behind the big hitter. The fans adore him, more than ever before. All these come in the way for an Indian cricketer, when he makes merry around the world. Yusuf has already ensured that Dhoni would pick him up ahead of Kohli. Now, the ball is in Yusuf’s half to smash it outside the park and get the World Cup back to India, after 27 long years.

Success is always sweet. But, it is sweeter when it comes after a defeat. Yusuf Pathan will cherish every moment of it, if he indeed helps Dhoni lift the World Cup!