The left-arm spinner, who has taken 107 wickets in the last two Ranji seasons, has played cricket at every level but the India call has eluded him. Still, his hunger hasn’t died
Shashank Kishore12-Jan-2017Fifteen years ago, Shahbaz Nadeem’s father, a police officer in Dhanbad, told his two sons only one of them could play cricket. He didn’t want both of them risking “a secure life” by chasing a game that didn’t guarantee a future because they hailed from Bihar. Assad Iqbal, the older brother and captain of the Bihar Under-15s, decided to step aside and give his small-boned younger brother – who was already playing U-19s as a 14-year-old – the chance to pursue his passion.It is this gesture which Nadeem, who finished the Ranji Trophy season as the highest wicket-taker with 56 wickets, remembers fondly every time his name crops up ahead of selection meetings. Today, Iqbal, an engineer and MBA, is well settled in Delhi and is happy that his younger brother – who has been in contention for selection for a while now – is nearly there, even though the India cap has remained elusive.Last week, Nadeem was hopeful as ever to be picked in the limited-overs squads for the series against England. Instead, a warm-up fixture for India A against the touring team is all he will get to present his case.The numbers back Nadeem. He is only the second man in Ranji history to top 50 wickets in a season twice, having taken 51 in 2015-16. He emulated Kanwaljit Singh, the former Hyderabad offspinner, who had also accomplished the feat in consecutive years, getting 51 wickets in 1998-99 and 62 wickets in 1999-00. These aren’t just cold stats. The numbers amounted to Jharkhand’s first ever semi-final entry in the tournament’s history, his 11-wicket haul in the quarter-final going with an unbeaten 34 to seal the qualification.”Over the last two-three seasons, right from the time we qualified [to the Ranji Elite group] for the first time, where I took 42 wickets, I’ve been hopeful of a call up, only to be disappointed. The chances will come sooner or later,” Nadeem told ESPNcricinfo. “I have played each and every format and at each and every level, except for India. It is always on the back of my mind that when I finish, I should complete the set. It doesn’t matter if I play only one or two matches for India. The quest for the cap keeps driving me.”The one misconception he is trying to erase. “It feels good when people say I’m a limited-overs specialist, but I wonder if they say that only because they haven’t seen me in the Ranji Trophy,” Nadeem said. “The selectors too have told me I’m a good limited-overs bowler since I finished as one of the most economical bowlers after Sunil Narine in 2012.”I knew I was doing enough in first-class cricket too, but somehow only the T20 performances were noticed. That motivated me,” he says. “In my team, everyone knows I can do well in all three formats, but perceptions were based on IPL performances. Even then I was doing well in the Ranji Trophy, which I take very seriously. It is here that you should be judged. For me, this is the finishing school. It shows how tough you should be mentally, and what level you are. As a player, it’s great to keep performing and help the team.”It’s Nadeem’s inquisitiveness to learn, he says, that has kept him going. He agrees the nature of the IPL leaves little time to interact and get to know foreign players better, but is full of warmth for Mahela Jayawardene – his team-mate at Delhi Daredevils who picked the spinner and kept him since 2011 – for his inputs. He says simply bowling for hours to the former Sri Lanka captain has been an education in itself.”In the short-format, you learn more from batsmen,” he explains. “If you learn their thinking, you can adjust and change accordingly. You’re not going to deviate too much from your basics, but understanding a batsman’s mindset is important. I make a note of all these small things. That’s where bowling to Mahela has really helped.”I bowl closer to the stumps in short formats and run in a lot straighter. I’m working on my chinaman delivery, which I keep for the short-format. I’m bowling the carrom ball too. I don’t think too many left-arm spinners have tried it. It’s a lot easier. In first-class cricket, the batsmen are not in a hurry. But in the short-format, they’re looking to score all the time, so it could make a difference there.”Amidst all the learning, it’s admirable how Nadeem has taken setbacks in his stride. His team-mates say the snub from the India A squad for the one-day tri-series in Australia last year spurred him to perform better. “It didn’t affect me mentally, but yes I did feel bad,” he says. “I came to terms with it and thought it’s okay if the selectors weren’t considering me.”His biggest satisfaction this season has come from consistently picking wickets on all kinds of surfaces. His next goal is to ensure Jharkhand remain competitive and finish among the top eight consistently.”Last year people were saying I was getting wickets only because of spinning tracks at home,” he says. “The general perception is you get only spinning tracks in the east. It’s more satisfying now because at neutral venues, our captain or management don’t have anything to do with the pitch. If I keep doing this, somewhere down the line my chance will come.”
