Rasool arrives at NCA, works on his fitness

Parveez Rasool, who became the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to be included in the Indian team, spent his first day at the National Cricket Academy, preparing for the upcoming tour to Zimbabwe beginning July 24. He spent his time indoors, working on his fitness with the trainers.

The 24-year-old, who has been in contention for national selection for a while now after a string of impressive performances, got the nod in the squad after the national selectors preferred to go in with a young team.

The series will be held from July 24 to August 3 at Harare and Bulawayo. The decision to rest Ravichandran Ashwin paved the way for Rasool’s selection in the senior team since he is also an off-spinner.

The selectors also picked the India ‘A’ team for the tour of South Africa which also includes Rasool. He has taken 46 wickets in 17 first-class matches and scored 1003 runs at an impressive average of 38.57.

Rasool was the standout performer for Jammu & Kashmir in the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy, ending the season as its top scorer and highest wicket-taker.

In his seven Ranji matches, Rasool scored 594 runs at 54 with two centuries, and took 33 wickets at 18.09 to finish as the third-highest wicket-taker among spinners in the tournament.

Injured seamer Irfan Pathan, who was left out of the Indian squad for the tour of West Indies due to hamstring injury, is expecting to get match-fit in another week’s time. ‘My injury wasn’t a major one. I have already started running and will start bowling at the nets in another couple of days time. I should be fit within another week’s time,’ Irfan said on Monday.