The curious case of Pankaj Singh: Brimming with talent, hard on luck

Usually numbers don’t reflect the ability of a cricketer and that can never be a yardstick to identify promise and potential. The case of Pankaj Singh is quite like that, pretty curious. He may have never been the best pacer India have ever produced but no one can question his skills and commitment towards the game. So it will not be harsh to say that hard work paid dividends when Sourav Ganguly handed him the Test cap at the Rose Bowl but soon the realisation set in that he is not cut out for Test cricket.

But like all rags to riches story he could have created his own luck if a few things tilted in his favour. Progressing from the under-19 levels, Pankaj was selected for the Australia tour in 2007-08, when Ishant Sharma made his mark. Fate played a prank on him when in the English summer of 2014, the lanky Pankaj got an opportunity to don the India cap when he came in the side for an injured Ishant — now the side’s strike pacer.

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But luck was not shining bright on the 29-year-old; Ravindra Jadeja dropped the all important catch of Alastair Cook at slip and later even the umpires did not help his cause. An umpiring blunder which could have seen Ian Bell back in the hut did not happen. Cook’s 95 set the tone for England in Southampton while Bell went on to top-score in the Test with 167.  Pankaj bowled his heart out with little luck but after two Tests, two loses and a bowling average of 146, Pankaj soon fell out of favour from the selectors’ radar. A little luck here or there could have seen the rise of the bowler who hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur.

Going by stats, no wicket for 179 is the worst ever figure on debut. Pankaj left behind Sohail Khan (0 for 164 on debut in 2009 against Sri Lanka), Aaqib Javed from Pakistan (0-160 on debut in 1989 against New Zealand) and Bryce McGain (0-149 on debut in 2009 against South Africa). In the next Test, he was given another chance at Old Trafford in the fourth Test of the series, where he finally tasted the success claiming the wickets of Joe Root and Jos Buttler. Soon, he was a forgotten story.

The door was shut on him and since then Pankaj earned the tag of ‘unlucky’. His uncomplicated action with a solid stoned body and smart bowling brain could have seen him cementing his spot in the eleven but that was not destined for him. Perhaps all he needed was a little bit which would have helped him sustain a career in international cricket. Many bowlers, including Ishant himself have been given ample of opportunities. Despite showing a lot of promise, for Pankaj, the rope was a short one.

Pankaj deserves a place in the current squad

Also when we look at the current Indian team selection for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, the pacers who are selected are Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron. The selection of Aaron can be debated. [Indian selectors get it right again; but why ​Varun Aaron?]

After getting ample opportunities, Aaron hasn’t been up to mark and he has struggled in international cricket. In 32 First-Class matches, Aaron has 83 wickets at an average of 35.79. In the six Tests and nine One-Day Internationals (ODIs) that he has played so far, he has failed to make an impression. There’s no doubt that Aaron has the ability to bowl quick, very quick, but sheer pace is not going to account for wickets. It’s fair to at least nurse thoughts of getting the 30-year old tall and strapping right-arm fast medium bowler from Rajasthan. The only advantage Aaron holds over Pankaj is age. Aaron is 25, while Pankaj is 30 but how often have we seen this factor to just be a number.

Pankaj continues to remain super consistent in domestic cricket. In the Ranji season of 2014-15, he played seven matches for Rajasthan and took 36 wickets at an impressive average of 21.08. Also, his overall First-Class figures are much more impressive than many other players, which depict his consistency. With 10 years of First-Class cricket in his CV, he played 88 matches and amassed 345 wickets with an average of 25.78. On the other side of the page, when we see Aaron being preferred over him, one can’t help but agree with the tag of ‘unlucky Pankaj’.

(Abhishek Kumar is a cricket devotee currently staffing with Criclife.com. He can be followed at abhicricket.kumar and abhishekkr2593)

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