For some cricketers, age is just a number. From Sachin Tendulkar to MS Dhoni, several cricketers have defied the age factor and prolonged their careers by putting in hard yards, on and off the field. At 40, veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra has put on impressive peformances in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League. He has taken six wickets in as many appearances for Lucknow Super Giants this year so far, while bowling at an impressive economy rate of 7.27. However, Mishra hasn't been able cement his place in the team due to his fitness issues.
Citing the example of Dhoni, who at 41 continues to mesmerise the crowd in the IPL, former India opening batter Virender Sehwag feels Mishra should also work on his fitness and come back stronger in the next season of the cash-rich league.
"His (Amit Mishra's) talent didn't go anywhere. As age grows, you go slower. A batter retires because he had to field for 20 overs, keep himself fit. If you hand Sunny bhai (Sunil Gavaskar) a bat even today, he can hit some great shots. But running between the wickets, fielding, and recovery... that won't happen," Sehwag said Cricbuzz ahead of LSG's game against SunRisers Hyderabad.
The 44-year-old also said that he'll be more than happy to help Mishra prolong his career.
"I always say to cricketers, extend your career as much as possible. Mishra ji has one year; he can make a great transformation and extend his career. Dhoni has done it, Kohli and Rohit are doing that as well, even Dhawan. They're all doing it so they can extend their career by a year or two. And they all have good fitness. If Mishraji is listening, play next year as well, put on the hard yards. If you can't, contact me, I'll make sure you do," Sehwag further said.
from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/OVkT7lt
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