S Sreesanth tells DNA he has fully recovered and is raring to go.
How has your recovery been?
It’s been good but tough. Thanks to the NCA, I have recovered. It was tough, but you always got motivated as Zaheer bhai was around. Then there is Rahul bhai giving his best every single day, then you see Anil bhai coming in and training hard.
What happened in Lanka?
It was very disappointing as I was prepared to bowl against them. It was unfortunate to get injured during practice. I was hoping to lead the attack. But I am sure there will be better opportunities coming.
Is it difficult to stay calm?
Its tough to be someone else, but I have learnt it the hardest possible way. But big thanks to Warwickshire county where I worked with Allan Donald last year, which helped me. And big thanks to my family and friends, they always motivated me. When I fractured my back, I was going through tough time. The Indian team motivated me then. Since it was doing well, whenever I used to see the group photo, I used to tell myself that I should be there.
Do you regret your past?
I think there is no shame in saying that I have made mistakes but I have learnt from them. But my only concern right now is to play for the country. I am no more 19, I am 27 and maturity comes with age as well.
How much difference has stint with Warwickshire made?
It was really important, since I had surely lost faith in myself, when I suffered the back injury. I remember playing IPL in South Africa with plaster on my back and it was really tough. Except me, everybody thought I would play for my country. I had given up on playing for India again, but everyone had faith in me. I didn’t go to county to become a better cricketer, I went to county with a want to play cricket and come back into the Indian team.
Aussies coming, your thoughts?
Absolutely, I am fully fit now. I have played Corporate Trophy and now I will be playing the Moin-ud-Dowla trophy for Kerala. I have been feeling good. I hope to get more confident before the Australia series.
What are India’s chances?
It’s going to be tough. We are ranked number one and hopefully, we will continue to play well. The team is fully equipped to play Australia and I think it will be a very good tournament. But I think we should be able to pull it off.
