'Leg-Spinner Rashid Khan Has Got The X-Factor'

SunRisers Hyderabad batting coach VVS Laxman played a crucial role in purchasing brilliant Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan. He received a recommendation from former India Test opening batsman Lalchand Rajput, currently chief coach of Afghanistan, and then discussed the scenario with chief coach Tom Moody and bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan. Former India batting mainstay Laxman says the team from Hyderabad wanted an impact spinner with an ‘X’ factor and Rashid fitted their requirement perfectly. In fact, SunRisers bought both Afghanistani players – the other being all-rounder Mohammed Nabi – that were sold at the players’ auction in February.

Excerpts from the exclusive interview:

Rashid has adapted quickly to the IPL. How?

When we were preparing for the auction, Muralitharan and me were very clear that we wanted an impact bowler and an impact spinner because we saw what Mustafizur Rehman [the Bangladesh pacer] did for the SunRisers last year. We thought we had some very good fast bowlers – some Indians and some from overseas – but we didn’t have a quality spinner who could put pressure on the opposition and take wickets. We looked for options, not only from India but all around the world, and we found Rashid very exciting; he had that ‘X’ factor. The ‘X’ factor is not just taking wickets but there’s also a bit of mystery about his bowling.

So, we were very clear that we wanted Rashid. It was also to do with his performances for Afghanistan. Even though he is so young and comes from an ICC Associate member team, whenever he has played against top-class batsmen, they were not able to read him properly. That was very encouraging for us in going for Rashid. Not just him, I think all the Afghanistani players are role models because they convey a strong message that if you have the will, love, and passion for what you do, no difficulties and no challenges can hold you back.

So, all these guys have done very, very well in the limited number of chances they get; more and more opportunities will only make them better. This first-hand information gained by working with Rashid and Mohammed Nabi. Both of them are very confident and tough mentally. When you have got that kind of a mind-set, big tournaments like the IPL will not be something that will challenge you. But in the first match Rashid himself felt a little bit of pressure; he was overawed by the scene because it is a big stage. Soon though he understood that he has go out there and do what he normally does, which he has been doing. The good thing is that he is always positive and that positivity helps him and the team, not just when he is bowling but also when he fields. He is a complete package.

Will Rashid’s success open more doors for Afghanistan players when a mega auction of players takes place next year?

The beauty of the IPL is that it doesn’t go by which countries the players are coming from. And the success of Mustafizur and Rashid is a clear indication that it doesn’t matter where the players come from. The franchise looks to have the best possible team from the best possible talent pool from which you can choose the players for the franchise. But when you pick the overseas players you pick the players who are match winners and have got the skill that is lacking in the Indian players. And that’s why the Indian players are the sought after players in the IPL because every team can play only four overseas players in the XI whereas there are seven Indian players. So, in effect you have to have a lot of Indian players to play in the IPL. And some of the skills which is required in a team combination may not be available in the Indian players’ pool, or there are limited players who have got the skill-set and are grabbed by the franchise. Then, to fill in those gaps we go for the overseas pool for getting players who can complete the puzzle -- and that’s why these overseas players are impact players and match winners. Both these guys, Rashid and Nabi, get a lot of positivity within the group, and so does Mustafizur. I believe that with the success of these three cricketers more and more doors will open, not only for the Afghanistani players but also for the ICC Associate countries, provided they have the ‘X’ factor.

Leg-spinners are considered a luxury in T20 cricket and it’s difficult for a leg-spinner to break into a T20 XI. The likes of Amit Mishra have been successful in T20, but Rashid is not so experienced. Were there reservations in picking him?

I actually feel leg-spinners are a rare breed. They win you matches by picking up wickets. If you see the history of any format, leg-spinners have always been bowlers who pick up wickets. But in T20, people start looking at the economy rate of a bowler, and I am a firm believer that when you pick up wickets the economy rate automatically goes down. Every franchise has got at least one leg-spinner, if not two. We’ve got two – Pravin Tambe and Rashid. Leg-spinners have that rare ability to pick up wickets and put pressure on batsmen – and if they’ve got mystery to boot, it’s that much better.

Your team has been on a roll. Despite Yuvraj not firing often, what is the secret of SunRisers’ success?

Last year’s title win has definitely given us the belief and confidence that we’ve got a team of players who can handle the big occasions. But we have believed in adding an environment where each and every player is felt wanted and that is very important. You talked of Yuvi. Unfortunately for Yuvi, our batsmen are in very good form, he didn’t get too many opportunities because he is always walking in during the last three or four overs, where you tend to lose wickets while playing big shots to get quick runs for the team. Our team has always been focusing on going out and playing with a fearless mind.