Legends League Cricket’s Pravin Tambe, the table topper for most wickets, plays with the spirit of a young boy even at 50.

By K.R. Nayar in Cuttack

Pravin Tambe is an embodiment of the adage that ‘age is just a number’. He believes that it is the spirit to play like a 16-year-old boy that matters in the game. Tambe, who represents GMR backed India Capitals in the SKY247.net League Legends Cricket and makes every legend of the game struggle to play against him, is also a cricketer who has ignited hope in many cricketers who believe that cricket ends in the mid-thirties.

Pravin Tambe at Mayfair Lagoon hotel ...all set for another success

At the time of speaking to krbuzz.blogspot.com at the picturesque Mayfair Lagoon hotel on Wednesday, Tambe was 50 years and 355 days old. This leg spinner with his wide-range of deliveries hogged the limelight only at the age of 41 by becoming the oldest ever IPL debutant. He was picked by Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2013 and proved that life can begin at forty, and now through the Legends League Cricket he is proving that a career of a cricketer can go beyond 50 as well!

A captain's delight:  Pravin Tambe with his skipper Gautam Gambhir  

Currently, Tambe tops the table of most wickets in the Legends League Cricket. How has Tambe been able to prevent the leading batsmen in the world from reading him?  “Everyone knows that T20 is a batsman’s game. So they try to dominate the bowler by playing the reverse sweep, paddle sweep and all kinds of shots. As a bowler, you need to overcome all those shots by trying to vary your length. As a bowler, I always think and try to read the batsman’s mind and bowl accordingly. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But I keep trying to do things that can make it difficult for the batsman to score runs,” said Tambe.

Pravin Tambe ... cheers from his teammates for giving a breakthrough   

After picking the wickets of most of the top batsmen the world with his guiles, doesn’t he feel disappointed at not being picked for the Indian team? “I don’t have any regrets in my life. I played in the IPL and so many T20 games. Yes, there is that thought that I should have represented my country. It is a matter of pride to play for India and win matches for our country. It is every cricketers’ dream. I got a chance very late in my life, and I will try to push myself to play for India. Maybe it can happen….but I have no regrets about it.”

Pravin Tambe... playing with fighting spirit 

Based on his experience, Tambe says: “There are so many talented cricketers who are good enough to play for India but did not get an opportunity. I am lucky to have got an opportunity to represent IPL, Ranji Trophy and few others. There many players who have played a lot of Ranji Trophy matches but could not get to play for India. I believe life should go on. What is important is to keep trying and pushing yourself till you can play.”

Pravin Tambe... keep trying and leave the rest 

So does the fact that he has crossed 50 make him think about his age. “When I am on the field, I don’t think about my age. Because if you want to play the sport you should play it with the same spirit of a young 16-year old boy even if you age is over 40 or even 50. Once you are in the ground and you are thinking of your age, then you shouldn’t be playing the game. So if had started thinking about my age I would not have played so much. I always go out with a positive mind set like of a 16 year old or 20 year old boy and try to tgive my 100 per cent. If I had stopped thinking this way, I would not have been playing the game.”

Pravin Tambe... producing various tricks 

Tambe never thought that the Legends League Cricket would be a competitive tournament.  “When I first came to play in this league, I thought it would be a leisurely tournament and all the matches would be easy. But now I see that every player in this tournament is giving their 110 percent. Sometimes even if their body doesn’t yield they are not giving up. The competition is very tough.”