IPL 2018: Manzoor Ahmad Dar has worked his way to the top, says Parvez Rasool

The 28-year-old Parvez Rasool, who hails from south Kashmir region of Jammu and Kashmir State fondly remembers the moment when he became the first cricketer from the politically troubled valley to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).

Moreover, Rasool went on to represent India in a lone ODI game against Bangladesh in 2014 and played his only T20I match against England in 2017.

A role model in Jammu and Kashmir, Rasool feels that things are changing for good in the scenic state. With a clean-up in the administrative cycle, the cricketer feels that the game is in safe hand now and he cites examples of it.

“Now, we have seen some changes. There are open trials and there is a bit of fair selection. The under-22 team reached the quarterfinals and they beat teams like Mumbai, Punjab and Delhi. There is a ray of hope. We also won two matches in T20. Things are looking better for J&K cricket,’’ says Rasool.

Kashmir trending during IPL:

Kashmir was trending during the IPL auction this year, as Manzoor Dar from Bandipora was picked to play for Kings XI Punjab in the auction.

“There was a lot of excitement in the State. He hails from a poor family. He is a son of a laborer. His selection to IPL is a big boost to J&K cricket. It is a positive message that if you work hard, you will get the results. What I like is that despite the facilities being very poor Dar worked his way to the top,’’ Rasool asserted.

Rasool feels that the boys from his state work really hard but ends up short due to the lack of facilities. He adds that there are many natural talents in Kashmir and that proper grooming will get their best on display.

“There are hardly any facilities in our State. For instance, we feel so nice to have 20 nets at Gymkhana here and if only if we have these kinds of facilities, I’m sure we can have some exciting cricketers. The boys work very hard but unfortunately, they did not get the necessary support in the past. We have some natural talent in the State. If groomed properly, there can be many good cricketers like Dar .’’ Rasool concluded.

Here’s the newsfeed:

IPL 2018: Kings XI Punjab Release List of Probable Captains

IPL 2018: Manzoor Dar Becomes Second Player From J & K To Be Signed Up By An IPL Franchise