Jammu and Kashmir's star cricketer Parvez Rasool says he his immediate target is to earn a berth in the Indian team for next year's ODI World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
"The next target now is that the selection for World Cup is ahead. There are multi-day matches coming up and the aim is to do well in those. I have to do well as team and individually as well. The target is to get back to the Indian team," Rasool said.
He has just won the Lala Amarnath Award for the best all-rounder in the Ranji Trophy for 2013-14 season. Rasool led Jammu & Kashmir from the front and made a mark in the domestic circuit. His performance of 663 runs and 27 wickets from nine matches in the tournament earned him accolades from experts.
"It is very important and especially for me because for the first time in the history a player from Jammu & Kashmir has received an award and that too for being the best all-rounder in the Ranji Trophy. I feel it will be a big morale booster for our players."
The J&K captain also talked about the contribution of former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi in shaping his career.
"It all started the year before last when Bishan Singh Bedi became our coach. He gauged me as a player and said, 'I am the best off-spinner in Jammu & Kashmir' and after some time he said you are the best off-spinner in India. It felt really good and it was also a challenge that a player of his stature said that about me," he told BCCI.tv
"And I worked hard on my batting and bowling and did well in the season (2012-13). In the match against Assam, I scored 67 runs in the first innings and then took seven wickets and then batting again I scored 120 not out and returned to take two wickets. We won the game outright. I received the Man of the Match which felt good and that I helped the team win. Then in the match against Kerala I took eight wickets and after that our winning streak started.
"The selectors took note of it. And my performances were noted, that I was single-handedly helping the team win and the next year I was handed captaincy. It was a huge responsibility and also pressure to do better for the team and for myself. I accepted the challenge and thanks to almighty Allah I was successful in doing what needed to be done. I scored 663 runs and took 27 wickets (2013-14 season) which felt good."
