Former Indian pacer Sreesanth recalled the moment when he took Pakistan’s veteran batter Misbah-ul-Haq’s catch to help India win the inaugural edition of the 2007 T20 World Cup against Pakistan by five runs. Sreesanth had taken a simple catch but the pressure of the situation was sky high in the all-important final.
The fast bowler, who was known for his outswing, revealed that former skipper Rahul Dravid’s advice had helped him take that catch. Sreesanth said Dravid had told him that the highest point of concentration was being blank.
In fact, apart from taking that big catch, Sreesanth didn’t have the best of matches as he conceded 44 runs in his quota of four overs. However, he was able to keep his focus when it mattered the most for the team.
Sreesanth said in a video shared by Star Sports on India’s 15th anniversary of the T20 World Cup triumph on 24th September: “A lot of players have made fun of it. While watching all those interviews, I used to think that nobody asked me what was going on in my mind at that time. I was ready for it. My mind was completely blank.”
“Rahul Dravid had told me this back in 2005 that the highest point of concentration is being blank. When you are looking forward and expecting something, you just perform when you are blank.”
Sreesanth revealed he was really focused and was proud that he didn’t let his team down. The former Kerala player added that not many people were backing him to take that important catch in Indian cricket history.
“I was very much focused and wanted to do well. I cannot control other people’s comments, but as a cricketer and being from Kerala, it was an opportunity for me to be there. The best thing that could have happened was to take the catch. Yes, I fumbled a bit, and I took it back. I was just feeling grateful. I told myself that, ‘God, this is the best moment and I can’t thank you enough.’”
“Everybody had different opinions, but for me, what mattered was taking that World Cup catch. I can proudly say that I would have dropped four or five catches max. A lot of people said that I would drop that catch. But no, I would never drop a catch that is that important.”
Sreesanth scalped six wickets in the seven matches of the T20 World Cup 2007 and conceded his runs at an economy rate of 7.95.
