Holding praises Sreesanth and rates him second only to Zaheer Khan in terms of merit

Former WI PACER Holding praises Sreesanth and rates him second only to Zaheer Khan in terms of merit

Former WI PACER Holding praises Sreesanth and rates him second only to Zaheer Khan in terms of merit

There was time when talented S Sreesanth earned wrath from all, including his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, for his on-field antics. But only performance has brought him into limelight again and he has impressed none other than Michael Holding, who is known to be very choosy about praising somebody.


Michael Holding

"My first concern is why was Sreesanth not there in the XI that played in Lord's. He should have been there in the Indian line-up," Holding said yesterday. Holding, whose name alone used to send shivers down the batsmen's spines in the seventies and eighties, thinks Sreesanth is a special one. "He should be there in the side because of his excellent seam position, lifting delivery, speed and experience," Holding told MiD DAY.


S Sreesanth celebrates after dismissing Matt Prior on Day One of the
second Test against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham yesterday.
Pic/AFP
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Though the former West Indian quick, nicknamed Whispering Death during his heydays, was forthright in rating Zaheer Khan above all, still seemed to have lot of faith in the Kerala fast bowler. "Obviously Zaheer is number one in terms of merit and then comes Sree ufffd So he should be an automatic choice if Zaheer is not there for fitness reasons," he said.u00a0

Reverting to the topic of the Indian team's combination, he suggested one more alteration. If Holding is to be believed, Virat Kohli is the future of India after Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid. "Virat should have been there in the tour party as he is the future of India," the dreaded fast bowler felt.

"They should give him more opportunities and exposure and allow him to grow as a cricketer. He is veryu00a0talented," he said. Asked about Kohli's plusses, Holding was finding it difficult to hold back his words. "He is a great prospect. The more he travels with the team the sooner he will mature as a batsman. He can pick many things by sharing the dressing room with the likes of Sachin, Rahul and VVS. India should think about their future now and bring Kohli on the roster," the 67-year-old Jamaican added.

Last but not the least, Holding couldn't keep himself away from criticising the Indian think-tank for not coming out clear on Zaheer's fitness after he was forced out of the ground flowing a hamstring injury. "Why did Indian team announce that Zaheer will bowl in the second innings at Lord's? Who were they trying to fool when the whole world knew he would not be able to bowl? Why didn't they speak the truth? Can't we expect transparency on injuries?" Holding questioned in utter disdain.

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