Yusuf Pathan off to Kenya to take part in a domestic league
The return of Yusuf Pathan to the Indian Cricket Team has long been a debated topic. The monstrous hitter has proved his mettle in the domestic leagues. His towering sixes, which instantly propelled him to international fame in 2010, are still fondly remembered by the fans. Pathan has shouldered the role of a finisher for his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
While some argue that the National team has enough young talents for the Baroda batsman to make a comeback in blue colour, others feel that the team lacks a ferocious hitter, which has often been seen in Pathan in the IPL.
But the unlikeness of receiving a call from the national team is not holding him back from getting better as a batsman. Yusuf, who toured Bangladesh earlier this year for the Dhaka Premier League, will now be travelling to Kenya to play for the Stray Lions Cricket Club.The batsman flew to Nairobi last night (2nd September) and confirmed that he received a clearance from the BCCI to take part in the league.
"I am eagerly looking forward to my first appearance in the League," Yusuf was quoted saying on Mid-day.
Earlier in June this year, a handful of Indian players were signed for the Dhaka Premier League which saw Yusuf Pathan as a middle-order batsman for the Abahani Limited. He could not get a chance to play more than two matches in the DPL because the month of Ramadan approached. Playing cricket while fasting would not have been a good idea.
In the first game, Pathan hit a 60 off 47, which was not one of his best but helped his side secure a win. "That knock gave double delight as the win helped the team to advance in the competition,” he said. In the second match, he scored some 20 odd runs before the holy month began.
He further revealed his priority towards fitness, and said his fitness regime has bettered since his association with the Kolkata Knight Riders. He explained how he had been following the fitness regime of Adrian Le Roux (the trainer of KKR) closely, which he believes helped his good stint with the franchise in the 2016 edition.
The batsman, who has an experience of 57 ODI and 22 T20 on his cricket resume, played his last international game on March 30, 2012. Given that besides the IPL, he does not have further scope to better his game in India, a stint with Kenyan cricket should definitely help him keep his game in good position.