A Priceless hunger for learning
Staff Reporter - 24 February 2002
This is Zimbabwean left-arm spinner Raymond Price’s first trip to
India. After being mauled in the tour opener by the Board
President’s XI batsmen, Price has bounced back admirably in the
first Test against India at Nagpur. Bowling a disciplined line
and length, Price was able to win the praise of the master,
Sachin Tendulkar, himself.
A cricketer who wants to learn and grow with every match, the
Zimbabwean left-arm spinner feels that this tour of India would
help his learning process enormously. In an exclusive interview
to CricInfo, Price talked on a range of topics - from his
first coach to the present tour of India.
"I learnt cricket from my dad, Tim Price. He was an off-spinner
and a professional golfer," Price said. His father’s lessons
proved invaluable during his formative years and helped turn the
younger Price into a useful spinner.
The Zimbabwe spinner, though, admits that he has still has a lot
to learn about the art and is eagerly awaiting the day when he
can meet Bishen Singh Bedi. "Though I've never seen Bedi bowl on
the field, his television recordings have more than impressed me.
He is the person I would like to meet and learn from, when we are
in Delhi for the second Test," Price said. Daniel Vettori, the
left-arm spinner from New Zealand, is another man he admires and
hopes to emulate.
With Paul Strang quitting the game and Brian Murphy nursing an
injury, Price had to shoulder the responsibilities of being
Zimbabwe’s lone specialist spinner. And he measured up to the
task during the Indian innings, claiming four of the five wickets
to fall by the end of the third day’s play.
Sachin Tendulkar, however, seemed to have mastered him and the
rest of the Zimbabwean attack. Expressing his views on the
world's best batsman, Price said, "Sachin batted well…As he
usually does."
Recollecting his first encounter with Tendulkar in a warm-up game
in Zimbabwe, Price said, "I was just 18. Since then I've always
admired this man. A batsman of the highest order indeed."
Moving on to the Indian bowlers, Price felt Kumble was the best
of the lot. "He is fast and God knows what he his. But what I
know is he's dangerous," he admitted candidly.
Despite being a spinner primarily, Price takes his batting
seriously. His ninth wicket stand with Travis Friend amply
demonstrated the 24-year-old’s fighting spirit. Hit on the chest
by a Zaheer Khan beamer on Friday, Price recovered to score 18
valuable runs before a sad misunderstanding with Friend cost him
his wicket. The Zimbabwean spinner was quick to stress the fact
that he bore no grudge against Zaheer for bowling what was an
unintentional delivery. "Zaheer has been a good friend of mine
for quite some time. These things do happen at times of play," he
said.
Talking about Sunday’s play, Price observed that his team would
have to strive to dismiss India early if they are to entertain
any hopes of saving the match. The biggest obstacle in their way
is Sachin Tendulkar. As a gutsy competitor, Price would be hoping
to do his bit in helping his team achieve their objective.
© CricInfo
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