NAGPUR: Faiz Fazal is being finally rewarded for his consistent performances, a bit late though, post his retirement from domestic cricket. The prolific batter was picked by India Capitals for Rs 25 lakh in the Legends League Cricket (LLC) auction on Thursday.
A few months after announcing retirement, Faiz would be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Chris Gayle, Dinesh Karthik, Liam Plunkett, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Irfan Pathan in the third edition of the LLC.
“I’m looking forward to playing in the LLC. After retiring, I’m looking to explore all playing avenues across the globe,” Faiz told TOI from Ireland. “My management firm informed me about being picked up by India Capitals. I had a brief talk with Hemang Badani, coach of the Indian capitals. Once back in India, I will have a detailed discussion about my role in the franchisee setup,” Faiz added.
While many would think that the recognition may have come a bit late, Faiz, a week away from his 39th birthday, disagrees. Over the years, Faiz had piled up runs by tons in the domestic circuit. He was given a solitary chance to represent India, a One-day International against Zimbabwe. The southpaw batter scored a fifty in that match, still never got the India cap again.
The former Vidarbha captain brushes off any talk of finally being at the right place at the right time. “I have no regrets. Having regret just makes life difficult,” Faiz says.
Faiz’s superlative performances in Ireland paved the way for his LLC stint. The opener guided his Lisburn to two maiden T20 titles – Northern Cricket Union T20 league and also the Ireland National T20 Cup.
Faiz scored 88 in Lisburn’s chase of 192-run target set by Leinster as the final match ended in a tie. In the ensuing Super Over, Faiz hit 22 runs in four balls, slamming a boundary and three consecutive sixes, as Lisburn scored 23 runs. Leinster managed just 9 for 2 in the Super Over paving the way for Lisburn’s maiden title triumph in the All-Ireland T20.
“I’m really happy with my performance so far this year. I’m indebted to the almighty that I was able to contribute to the success of my team. This was the first time that Lisburn emerged as the winner in the Northern Cricket Union T20 league and also the Ireland National T20 Cup,” Faiz said.
One of the sixes hit by Faiz in the Super Over was an uncharacteristic scoop shot behind the wicket. One can’t remember Faiz ever playing such a shot for Vidarbha. “Well, a few years before retiring I mostly used to play the longer format. Playing such a shot in a four-day game was never a prudent idea. But I have been playing unorthodox shots whenever I represented teams other than Vidarbha, where I didn’t have to shoulder the responsibility of holding the innings together. In Ireland I have been able to play freely in T20s,” said Faiz.
Playing with Lisburn, a team that values him as a player, Faiz says that he is in a good frame of mind. Used to changing his game as per the team’s needs, Faiz is doing just that in Ireland too.
“After a tumultuous year or so I’m finally at peace. Conditions here in Ireland are a bit challenging for batting. The chilling temperatures and windy conditions make batting a tough job. But as a professional the team looks up to me to deliver and I have been able to stand up to their expectations,” Faiz said.
Apart from playing, Faiz has been donning the hat of batting consultant to Northern Knights, an Ireland based team. “On the request of Cricket Ireland, I did a couple of sessions with the national team ahead of their maiden Test match against Zimbabwe,” he said.
A few months after announcing retirement, Faiz would be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Chris Gayle, Dinesh Karthik, Liam Plunkett, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Irfan Pathan in the third edition of the LLC.
“I’m looking forward to playing in the LLC. After retiring, I’m looking to explore all playing avenues across the globe,” Faiz told TOI from Ireland. “My management firm informed me about being picked up by India Capitals. I had a brief talk with Hemang Badani, coach of the Indian capitals. Once back in India, I will have a detailed discussion about my role in the franchisee setup,” Faiz added.
While many would think that the recognition may have come a bit late, Faiz, a week away from his 39th birthday, disagrees. Over the years, Faiz had piled up runs by tons in the domestic circuit. He was given a solitary chance to represent India, a One-day International against Zimbabwe. The southpaw batter scored a fifty in that match, still never got the India cap again.
The former Vidarbha captain brushes off any talk of finally being at the right place at the right time. “I have no regrets. Having regret just makes life difficult,” Faiz says.
Faiz’s superlative performances in Ireland paved the way for his LLC stint. The opener guided his Lisburn to two maiden T20 titles – Northern Cricket Union T20 league and also the Ireland National T20 Cup.
Faiz scored 88 in Lisburn’s chase of 192-run target set by Leinster as the final match ended in a tie. In the ensuing Super Over, Faiz hit 22 runs in four balls, slamming a boundary and three consecutive sixes, as Lisburn scored 23 runs. Leinster managed just 9 for 2 in the Super Over paving the way for Lisburn’s maiden title triumph in the All-Ireland T20.
“I’m really happy with my performance so far this year. I’m indebted to the almighty that I was able to contribute to the success of my team. This was the first time that Lisburn emerged as the winner in the Northern Cricket Union T20 league and also the Ireland National T20 Cup,” Faiz said.
One of the sixes hit by Faiz in the Super Over was an uncharacteristic scoop shot behind the wicket. One can’t remember Faiz ever playing such a shot for Vidarbha. “Well, a few years before retiring I mostly used to play the longer format. Playing such a shot in a four-day game was never a prudent idea. But I have been playing unorthodox shots whenever I represented teams other than Vidarbha, where I didn’t have to shoulder the responsibility of holding the innings together. In Ireland I have been able to play freely in T20s,” said Faiz.
Playing with Lisburn, a team that values him as a player, Faiz says that he is in a good frame of mind. Used to changing his game as per the team’s needs, Faiz is doing just that in Ireland too.
“After a tumultuous year or so I’m finally at peace. Conditions here in Ireland are a bit challenging for batting. The chilling temperatures and windy conditions make batting a tough job. But as a professional the team looks up to me to deliver and I have been able to stand up to their expectations,” Faiz said.
Apart from playing, Faiz has been donning the hat of batting consultant to Northern Knights, an Ireland based team. “On the request of Cricket Ireland, I did a couple of sessions with the national team ahead of their maiden Test match against Zimbabwe,” he said.
