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‘Shoaib has gelled well with us’
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SportsDesk on 08 May, 2008 05:05:21
 
By SAYAK BANERJEE
Kolkata, May 8: Shoaib Akhtar may be out of the day’s IPL match against
Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Eden crowd may miss the sight of the burly
speedster steaming in, but his presence in the dressing room itself is an
‘impact’. At least for youngsters like Wriddhiman Saha.
The 23-year old wicketkeeper has so far been the most impressive of the Bengal
players in the Knight Riders’ ranks. Since his valiant, unbeaten 59 against
Kings XI Punjab at Mohali last week, Saha has become an integral part of the
squad. And he is more than happy with the time spent with the Rawalpindi
Express.
"Shoaib has gelled very well with everyone of us. I’m really enjoying my time
in the dressing room when he is around. More importantly, he has not made us
conscious of his stature and is quite down to earth," Saha said. "He (Shoaib)
and the other Pakistan players have even tried their hand at Bengali," he added.
A source close to the Bengal cricketers in the Knight Riders team also
confirmed Akhtar’s easy approach with the rookies. "So far, Shoaib has been
very friendly with these guys. Apart from this, he is providing valuable tips to
young fast bowler Ashok Dinda and the like," the source added.
Coach John Buchanan too had stressed on the positives of Akhtar’s presence in
the dressing room. "Shoaib’s experience in the dressing room will be handy. He
is certainly an impact player," Buchanan said the other day.
Meanwhile, another promising Bengal batsman in the Knight Riders squad,
Debabrata Das, feels otherwise. He in fact is a little sceptical about the
impact Akhtar’s presence has had.
"I don’t know how one can make an impact in just two days. I think we should
wait for a few more days and then comment on this aspect," Das told this paper.
Time will tell whether Akhtar’s stint in the inaugural edition of the IPL
turns out to be a successful one or not, but he certainly has won the hearts of
a few of the rookies in the Knight Riders’ squad.