Dipu played a huge role in Sreesanth taking up cricket seriously.
"Even when he was small he used to come with me when I used to play club matches and other university games. Since then he was very keen to learn and pick up things.
"Our family shifted from Kothamangalam to Ernakulam in 1994, which proved to be very important. There, under the guidance of P Shivakumar, president of the Ernakulam Cricket Club, his career took shape. He guided him a lot and also asked him to be sent to Bangalore for further coaching."
"As a kid he wanted to be a leg-spinner, since Anil Kumble was his favourite player. I was a fast bowler then and would taunt him to bowl faster than me. I think that's when he decided to bowl fast," recalls Dipu.
Sreesanth's major breakthrough, he says, came when he was selected to the MRF Pace Academy in 2000.
"T A Sekhar and Dennis Lillee helped him a lot with his action and other developments. In fact, Lillee once told Sreesanth that his action was similar to his. 'Hey your action is just like mine' Lillee told him. Sreesanth was so happy to hear that," revealed Dipu.
Image: Sreesanth with his mother and other members of his family. Photograph: Rajiv Iduuki
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