Sreesanth reveals special compliment MS Dhoni gave him in 2009

S Sreesanth, the talented fast bowler from Kerala is hoping to make a comeback to the domestic setup when his ban imposed by the BCCI regarding the spot-fixing allegations in 2013 ends in September this year. He had been named among the probable players for Kerala’s Ranji season this year. In his latest interview, he recalled one compliment that he received from the Indian veteran MS Dhoni way back in 2009.

Sreesanth recalls the compliment he received from Dhoni

Sreesanth is all geared up for a fairytale comeback as the Kerala coach Tinu Yohannan mentioned that he was very much in the plans for the state team and can make it to the eleven, provided he proves his fitness. Known for his outstanding seam position and beautiful outswingers, he was involved in an Instagram live session recently. There he recalled a compliment he received from then captain MS Dhoni during the 2009 Kanpur Test against Sri Lanka. Bowling on a flat pitch the aggressive right-arm pacer put on a brilliant show to help India beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 144 runs.

He took six wickets in that match, five of them in the first innings, to demolish Sri Lankan batting lineup. He was named the Man of the Match for the stunning display. After the match, the then captain MS Dhoni rated him as good as Zaheer Khan in getting the ball to reverse swing.

“I remember it was a flat track and there was no way we would’ve won that Test match,” Sreesanth said.

Sreesanth reveals the person who taught him the art of ‘Reverse Swing’

Sreesanth had the opportunity to work with some of the legends of the game early on in his career. He had the luxury of getting the guidance of the great Allan Donald in MRF pace foundation and has even had close conversations with Waqar Younis and the sultan of swing Wasim Akram. But interestingly the person who taught him the art of ‘Reverse Swing’ was not any of these legendary cricketers. He learned it from a curator in Kerala named ‘Hamsa’.

“I never used to call any pata (flat or dead pitch) a pata but I used to enjoy bowling on such pitches. I am from Kerala, I never got a green wicket to bowl on. It is a very important thing to have good control in reverse swing and that I learned from a guy named Hamsa,” he said.

“He is a curator in Kerala now he used to be a cricketer and then an umpire. Yes, there was Wasim Akram, there was Waqar Younis, there was Allan Donald, a lot of people I could speak to and I even worked under Allan Donald. But the real guy who taught me how to use the crease, how to bowl, how to use the angle was Hamsa. I am still in touch with him,” Sreesanth added.

Sreesanth who was an integral part of India’s victorious campaign in both the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup revealed that he is very much confident of making a comeback to the national side and added that his present aim is to help Kerala win the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup.

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