It is a strange moment in Indian cricket. The national team is evidently struggling while a big tournament that will begin next month in the country – ODI World Cup – has faced unprecedented roadblocks.
Amid the cacophony, the national team’s wait for a major ICC trophy stretched into its 10th year after failure in their previous attempt at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
Following defeat to England in the semi-final in Adelaide, one player found himself sidelined fairly soon, after a decade in international cricket.
Seam bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has quietly slipped off the radar, with Jasprit Bumrah back leading the pace attack.
Kumar is currently playing in the inaugural edition of the Uttar Pradesh T20 League, a local T20 franchise tournament in his state. At 33, the right-arm seamer knows time is not on his side. But that is not on his mind right now. He just wants to play competitively.
“When you are at a stage when you know you are going to play only for a few more years – being a fast bowler – it hits you and you want to enjoy cricket. I am at that stage now,” Kumar told The National.
“Yes I am not part of the Indian team, but this does not bother me. It’s not that I am trying something different or planning anything new to come back. I am just focusing on playing cricket.”
One of the performances that stood out for the wrong reasons recently was the match against England at the T20 World Cup where the eventual champions chased down 169 in just 16 overs. All the Indian bowlers went wicketless that day but, while others remain part of the mix, Kumar is not.
A comeback is always at the back of the mind of a player who finds himself out of a team he was an almost integral member of, but Kumar remains phlegmatic.
“I am not playing just to make a comeback. I am doing what is needed to play good cricket. There might be a chance to make a comeback [to the Indian team]. But that is not my focus. Whatever format or leagues I play, I want to contribute. If things fall into place, I can make a comeback but that is not my sole focus now.”
And it’s not like he has restricted himself to bowling four overs.
“I am not giving a priority to any one format. It’s not that I just want to play T20 or ODIs or Tests. At this stage, I just want to play cricket. I don’t know how many more years I will get to play.”
The focus, therefore, is on the UPT20 league, which is one of more than half a dozen state-level T20 tournaments in the country. The tournament is shown on the hugely popular JioCinema app in India, with top players getting a salary of one million Indian rupees. Six franchises are competing in the tournament, which started on August 30 and finishes on September 16.
For Kumar, the tournament is a shot in the arm for arguably the biggest talent pool of cricketers in the country; the state of UP has a population of over 240 million.
“We needed this in UP. UP is such a big state. Even if you have very good trials and selection matches, it is always limited. This league will help in finding talent. Because seeing a player in the nets and during matches are two different things.”
What such leagues also do is provide a pretty straightforward shot at the IPL, even though the official domestic T20 tournament in the country is the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“There is a sense of security that comes with the finances that come with these leagues. This is at an early stage, but I am sure in a few years these leagues will provide players financial security on their own,” Kumar added.
“Not only that, these leagues are a great chance to get spotted. IPL scouts do watch these leagues, and it is good chance to get spotted, rather than Syed Mushtaq Ali. So players know if they are not part of the state teams, they can still get selected for an IPL team.”
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Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Scorecard:
England 458 & 119/1 (51.0 ov)
South Africa 361
England lead by 216 runs with 9 wickets remaining
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
