Former Indian cricketer and analyst Mohammad Kaif has shared his views on the veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar making his T20I comeback after a gap of four years for the forthcoming New Zealand tour.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif asserted that he didn’t think the veteran pacer would have such a long career when he first saw him. Notably, Bhuvi made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh under Mohammad Kaif’s captaincy in 2007.
Bhuvneshwar made his first-class debut in 2007 for Uttar Pradesh under the captaincy of Mohammad Kaif. The former cricketer made an honest confession after the pacer’s comeback, stating he did not think Bhuvneshwar would have such a long career when he first saw him.
“He was 17 when I saw him first. I never knew he would have such a long career. A lot of credit goes to him and his skill set. He never had the physique of a fast bowler. He does not look like one at all. Such a bowler has set such a great example. The biggest thing that I noticed in him was that he had the swing and seam as well. I am very happy to have been a small part of his career,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“His comeback will set the example that you must never give up. Whenever people think of giving up, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s name will be taken. This is not only a comeback but also sets a trend,” he added.
Furthermore, Kaif showered praise on the selectors for bringing the veteran pacer back into the national set-up. He added that the selectors should not look at a player’s age but instead focus on his performances when selecting him for the national team.
“I want to praise the selectors also here. I think this was the most difficult call. When Agarkar was there, maybe those who made this call were not at the top. As soon as Ajit went, they showed that their thinking is different, that they will reward performance and not go by age. A lot of credit goes to them. Saying that a player is aged when he is performing is a big scam. Saying you are looking at the future is a big scam. You do not know about the future. There is no bigger scam than this. No one knows what will happen tomorrow either. When you have an experienced and in-form player, you have to reward him. This was a big call,” he concluded.
