Interview Sarandeep Singh
 On how he took up the game [Audio]
I was studying in seventh standard in DAV school (in Amritsar). It's a very good school, well known for cricket also. I would go to the ground and see the boys play. Then I joined the DAV school team and that's where I started my cricket. I played in inter-school games and then played for Amritsar district. In the first year I gave some good performances and was selected for the Punjab Under-16 and in the same year I was also chosen for North Zone. That's my cricketing start.
On whether he was an off spinner from the start [Audio]
From the start I was an off spinner and a batsman also. In the beginning I was more of a batsman and didn't pay much attention to my bowling. But someone told me that I bowled well and advised me to concentrate on my bowling. Now I'm more of a bowler than a batsman.
On his initiation into first class cricket [Audio]
I played Under-19 cricket for Punjab, taking 22 wickets in four matches and making a hundred against Haryana. Then I was called to play in the Ranji Trophy and in my first match against Haryana (in the 1998-99 season), I scored 47 runs but didn't take any wicket. In the Super League I got three wickets against Rajasthan and eight wickets against Hyderabad (3/77 and 5/58 in just his third Ranji match, Punjab losing narrowly by 24 runs). Then I was selected for India Under-19 straightaway. I didn't play the next two matches in the Super League but I was selected for the quarterfinal against Tamil Nadu where I got three wickets. In the semifinal against Karnataka I made 46 runs and got one wicket.
On whether he's satisfied with last season's performance [Audio]
I'm not satisfied. I got almost 40 wickets last season but I could have got more if I had done better in 2-3 games. In the next season I am looking forward to getting more than 40 wickets.
On what he learnt at the NCA [Audio]
I learned so many things about bowling off spin, how to bowl on flat wickets, how to bowl against good batsmen you come up against in international cricket. They gave me a lot of tips like how to deceive batsmen in flight when they step out to hit you. It was a good learning experience for me.
On bowling in tandem with Harbhajan Singh [Audio]
Obviously one has his own style. Harbhajan is a different bowler, I'm a different bowler. He's a very good bowler. We bowl regularly together. He always encourages me, being my senior partner. We sit together and discuss our bowling during a game. We both play in every match. You never see Harbhajan playing and me not playing.
On whether he considers himself an allrounder [Audio]
Yeah, I am an allrounder. When I was starting cricket, my batting took precedence. But after one year, I began to focus on my bowling and I was selected to the Ranji Trophy on the strength of my bowling, not batting. But now I'm making runs also and would like to be considered as an allrounder.
On whether the absence of an offspinner in the probables for Nairobi is an opportunity for him [Audio]
In this situation I can't say anything. It depends on the selectors, what they think, they have their own ideas. My job is to go out and perform.
On his goals for the coming season [Audio]
I will straightaway go and play Ranji Trophy now. The coming season is a very crucial season for me. I have to take a lot more wickets if I want to play higher grade cricket.
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