Bowling well may not count as much as taking wickets: Agarkar

Bulletin by Shwe Wai

JOHANNESBURG: In his own small way, Ajit Agarkar is a happy man. His knock for Kolkata Knight Riders against Delhi Daredevils in the DLF Indian Premier League on Sunday was worth more than the 39 runs that the scorebook shows -- the team’s Director of Cricket John Buchanan may finally be convinced about his batting ability.

Buchanan was coach of the Australian team when Agarkar's poor run with bat earned him the dubious sobriquet of Bombay Duck. Nearly a decade later, Agarkar's hoping Buchanan has seen his ability with the bat. “I am sure he is.... at least I hope so,'' Agarkar joked when reminded by iplt20.com about his horror run in Australia in 1999-2000.

As his luck would have, Agarkar had had a discussion on that with former Australian cricketer Greg Blewett, who is here as a TV commentator. “In any case, many remember me mostly for that run with the bat,” Agarkar said. “Everybody has forgotten my bowling on that tour pf Australia.”

It is also an almost forgotten fact that Agarkar was a member of Team India which won the ICC World Twenty20 here in South Africa. Of course, he will not be a part of the team that will set out to defend the crown in England next month. “I am disappointed. Every time an Indian squad gets chosen and I am not there, I am disappointed. But then, I haven’t been in the national squad for nearly a year and a half,” said Agarkar.