Surat: Over the years, Yusuf Pathan entertained fans in India and across the world with his power-hitting – be it in a Team India jersey, for his state team Baroda or in IPL.
Even at the age of 41, the right-handed batter and off-break bowler is striving to give his best for Konark Suryas Odisha in the ongoing Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2024.
The cricketer-turned-politician, who became a Lok Sabha MP in June after winning on a Trinamool Congress ticket from West Bengal’s Baharampur, dispelled the notion that retired players don’t exert themselves on the field in a competition like LLC.
“It’s not true that a retired player doesn’t give that much effort on the field. They keep themselves motivated and play with full enthusiasm. We keep ourselves fit to be a part of such leagues,” Yusuf said.
Lauding Konark Suryas Odisha’s management for its initiative to create a team in Odisha, Yusuf said: “The management of Konark Suryas Odisha has taken a commendable initiative to put up a team at the national level from Odisha. It will encourage the youth in the state and they will also learn a lot,” said Yusuf.
“Very happy” to be part of the Konark Suryas Odisha team, Yusuf promised to try and give his best in each and every match.
Konark Suryas Odisha, who started their campaign by winning a nail-biter against defending champions Manipal Tigers, will face the same team in their second game on Friday.
Yusuf underlined the fact that any international cricketer always tries to encourage young and budding players.
“Whether a player is playing or retired, he/she always tries to encourage youngsters. Most of the retired players who are part of LLC represented their country at the international level. Youngsters have a lot to learn when they join the teams for practice,” said Yusuf.
How 2007 T20 WC Triumph Changed Indian Cricket
Looking back at his career, Yusuf recalled how Team India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph changed the cricket in the country.
“It’s been 17 years since we won the T20 World Cup. A lot has changed in cricket since then. When we won the World Cup, nobody knew how to approach T20 matches. We were well-versed in ODI and Test formats. Whether it was a batter or a bowler, they knew their jobs quite well. But we knew too little about T20 cricket at that time,” said Yusuf, who announced his arrival on the big stage during the final of the World Cup by making a quickfire 15 runs while opening the batting.
“The 2007 win completely changed the image of the Indian cricket team. India’s 1983 ODI World Cup win had changed how people looked at cricket. In 2007, we set a new benchmark for the next generation. We motivated youngsters to play cricket in India,” he added.
