Still believe I can play 2023 World Cup, states S Sreesanth
Indian pacer S Sreesanth, who will be turning 40 in three years’ time, is confident that he still has a chance to feature in the 2023 World Cup and has claimed that he will work hard to achieve the goal. Sreesanth also revealed that he tried his hand at MMA to keep himself mentally fresh.
After initially being ruled guilty of spot-fixing in the IPL in 2013, Kerala’s Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was handed a life ban by the BCCI, but the pacer was then acquitted of all charges in 2015, post which the Supreme Court reduced the speedster’s ban to seven years. What that effectively means, now, is that Sreesanth will be eligible to play competitive cricket once again from September 2020 and heading into his first season of cricket since 2013, the pacer has already set the bar high.
In an interview with Deccan Herald, the 37-year-old, revealed that he is still optimistic about partaking in the 2023 50-over World Cup in India and claimed that it is important to have ‘unrealistic goals’ in order to not be mediocre.
"I still believe I can play in the 2023 World Cup. I firmly believe that. One of the things he taught me was to be unapologetically me. I was always unrealistic with my goals but that’s with most athletes. If you don’t have unrealistic goals, you’re going to be mediocre," Sreesanth told Deccan Herald.
A fiery character on the field, Sreesanth, whose last international appearance came way back in 2011, also revealed that during his time off from the game, he tried his hand at Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). The 37-year-old stated that he did so to keep his mind free of negative thoughts and added that it was a useful mechanism to get some anger out of his system.
"I fully immersed myself in the routine of working out to avoid depressive phases. In fact, I tried my hand at MMA too in between because my anger and stress needed some outlet. I couldn’t hit anybody so I did the closest thing: hit a punching bag or a mat.”
Meanwhile, in a separate interview, the speedster claimed that his immediate goal would be to help Kerala win the Ranji Trophy title. The pacer added that he will try everything within his power to attract the attention of the national selectors.
“My aim is to help Kerala win the Ranji Trophy and other domestic titles in the upcoming season. I want to excel for my state and put in good performances if and when an opportunity comes up. If selectors feel Sreesanth is good enough, I may even get a chance to play for India again,” said Sreesanth, in a chat with Xtra Time Youtube channel on Saturday night.
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