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Virat Kohli’s praise a dream come true for ‘little Boycott’ Haseeb Hameed
The 19-year-old Haseeb Hameed, whose parents migrated from Gujarat, has been a hit on his Test debut, and India skipper Virat Kohli, who spoke to him after the Mohali match, believes he can click in all three formats.
Teenaged England opener Haseeb Hameed’s compact batting earned him the nickname ‘little Boycott’, high praise as the former England opener is regarded as one of the most technically accomplished batsmen in the game.
However, the idols of the 19-year-old of Indian origin are Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. As an eight-year-old, Haseeb was thrilled to get his picture clicked with Tendulkar at Bandra’s MIG Cricket Club. And after the third Test in Mohali, which India won by eight wickets, he got the opportunity for a one-on-one with Kohli.
Though a fractured little finger in Mohali has ruled him out of the last two Tests, the Bolton-based batsman, whose family migrated from Gujarat, is already seen as England’s find of the tour. In Mohali, he won everyone over by batting with the injury and scoring a gritty half-century.
The picture of Haseeb sitting with Kohli outside the Mohali dressing room, listening attentively to the India skipper, has gone viral. Haseeb tweeted: “This was a great moment for me as well. A really sincere and honest guy. Grateful for his time, minutes after his side had won the game.”
ALL-FORMAT PLAYER
Haseeb couldn’t sleep that night. “Haseeb is a big Virat fan. To get an opportunity to play against him and then to have a 15 to 20 minutes conversation is a huge thing for him,” elder brother Numan told HT.
What did Kohli tell Haseeb? “We don’t ask him too many questions. But he was very excited to share with us that Virat told him he can be a star in all three formats. To have such an assurance from someone like Virat is a big boost for Haseeb. Although Haseeb has just started off, no player likes to get labelled that he is meant just for Tests or T20s.”
Kohli praised Haseeb’s gritty knock in Mohali. “He put his hand up when his team wanted him to. You can sense it as a captain, this guy is intelligent. He’s a great prospect for England and he’s definitely going to be a star in all forms if he keeps persisting with his skill.”
WILLING TO OPEN
Numan revealed Haseeb wanted to open despite the injury but was sent at No 8, scoring 59 not out.
“The team management felt he would be better lower down the order as he plays spin well. That was a huge compliment for Haseeb to achieve in his debut tour. Playing the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is no mean task,” said Numan, who has played club cricket in England.
With 209 runs in just three Tests, Haseeb is already seen as a worthy opening partner to skipper Alastair Cook.
Haseeb’s brother attributed the maturity to father Ismail’s struggles as a driving instructor in Bolton, through which he supported his three sons to play cricket.
“There have been many financial setbacks but my father always urged us to look at the positives. Haseeb has seen how we (brothers Numan and Safwan) struggled. All that experience and learning has made him stronger mentally.”
His family was disappointed when Haseeb wasn’t picked for the U-19 World Cup in 2015. “It was a huge setback for Haseeb. It was his dream to play the World Cup, but since then he has worked tremendously hard on every opportunity that has come his way. Who would have thought Haseeb would debut for England in a year?”
