In the tapestry of domestic cricket, where the spotlight often shines on international superstars, there exists a constellation of unsung heroes who illuminate the regional circuit with their brilliance. Obaid Kamal, a luminary of Uttar Pradesh cricket, is one such celestial body, whose brilliance has consistently captivated the hearts of fans and experts alike. Renowned for his masterful ability to sway the ball through the air, Kamal has been the cornerstone of his state’s cricketing triumphs.

In this exclusive interview, we embark on a journey through the annals of his illustrious career, exploring the challenges he has surmounted, the aspirations he harbours as the current bowling coach of the Kashi Rudras franchise in the UP T20 league and the indelible mark he has left on the cricketing landscape.

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Excerpts

Q: How was it like defeating an invincible team like Bombay on their home turf, that too in the semi-final of Ranji Trophy 1998-99?

Obaid Kamal: Beating Bombay was a dream with domestic cricket stalwarts present in the Mumbai team of that era, and beating Bombay in Bombay was a tough nut to crack, but our team was indeed a capable one with Ashish Winston Zaidi, Gyanendra Pandey as the captain. I still remember in the first innings Zaidi went through Mumbai’s batting line-up like a hurricane, bagging a six-wicket haul in the first innings. Though Mumbai were a capable team that could change the tide of the game in the fourth innings, so when it came down to the fourth innings we as a team were boosting to prove ourselves and win the match and I claimed to my media pals before going onto the field that I will make sure that we’ll be winning the match and I will make sure that we win it comprehensively.

(Obaid Kamal gave a blistering performance against Mumbai at the Wankhede stadium, picking up 5 wickets for 58 runs)

Q: There was this incident you had with Rahul Dravid, running after the match before the final in Bangalore about you doing something fishy with the ball, would you like to clear it?

Obaid Kamal: Look this incident is a funny one, as people thought that I tampered with the ball, and I don’t blame them for thinking of such a story. To reverse swing an old ball is a hard task, especially a ball that was 60 to 70 overs old, but there’s a catch, these rumours were after the semi-final with Mumbai, and Wankhede built closer to the seashore had one end opened for some sea breeze that helped us with the reverse swing. These stories reached Rahul Dravid, and he being the gentleman asked me, “What are these things, I am getting to here Obaid?” (with a smile). I replied if that’s the case you can yourself look into the match (laughing out loud).

Q: Allahabad (Prayagraj) is a place that produces brilliant players and many players are from Allahabad too, tell us something about your journey.

Obaid Kamal: Indeed, my motherland is magical, there is something in the water of Prayagraj I guess, a place where three rivers meet. Talking about myself, I come from a family where my elder brothers love this sport, my elder brothers Javed Kamal and Parvez Kamal used to play cricket but were not in the favour of me playing this game, the reason being I was one of the youngest and a notorious chap. But when they saw I was focused and worked hard on my game, they came forward to help me with my game, and other requirements.

Q: You are currently, the bowling coach of the Kashi Rudras franchise, there are new young prospects in the team as well kindly share your comments on those players.

Obaid Kamal: Yes, we do have young players and good players in fact, we have last year’s hero with us, Atal Rai, working by his name, he is strong and diligent in his ethics and hard work. He had injuries last year but he managed them all and played like a champion player and that too after being a fast bowler.

Q: The reigning champions of UP T20 league, how confident are you, that you all will be able to defend your title?

Obaid Kamal: We can’t really say about the future right now, as cricket is a funny game but speaking about preparation and last year’s experience, we played as a unit and were gifted by the almighty for our hard work. Hopefully, we can this time too go ahead to lift the coveted trophy with our new side.

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Watch the full interview here:

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