Umesh Yadav: Pace Man

Perhaps the best mascot of galli cricket, this Vidarbha lad couldn’t even afford dreaming at one point of time, but today his paycheck has eight zeroes.

In his ripped jeans, tight tee and tattooed arm, Umeshkumar Tilak Yadav is the spitting image of every middle class boy who makes it big. The son of a coalminer from a small town, Yadav’s ascent from playing tennis-ball cricket to taking a five-wicket haul at Perth, once again underlined how cricket can fuel dreams and change lives. Unable to find a consistent place in the side, the Vidarbha cricketer who believes sheer pace is his calling card, will play for Kolkata Knight Riders in the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League after being bought for ₹2.6 crores. In a chat with FHM , the 26-year-old lets his guard down to talk about his roots and unwittingly makes his fondness for Katrina Kaif known.

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When did you start thinking that you’ll play for India?

I never thought I would ever play for India. It never crossed my mind, as I was playing galli cricket, club cricket, playing with tennis balls, rubber balls etc. I never imagined I would represent my country in an international match, but after taking part in the first season of the IPL is when I first thought maybe I could make the impossible come true. I come from a fairly simple middle class background – my dad used to work for WCL – and we couldn’t harbour grandiose dreams like that, but I knew I had the courage and the guts to become a fast bowler that could play for India. I worked hard at it.

Do your parents also have to bear the brickbats when you are not playing well?

Sometimes, but since we’re not from a big city, my parents are somewhat insulated from what is being said in the press or just from people’s reactions. At times my friends come to me and tell me they were disappointed with the way I played, but they don’t complain to my parents, so that way they are somewhat protected.

What are the pressures on an Indian fast bowler? It must be difficult being a fast bowler in a country where most tracks are batsmen or spin-friendly

People believe Indian pitches are not conducive for fast bowling but I think whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on how you look at it. It’s a challenge for me. When you are bowling on a slow wicket, you can either crib about it or try to get something out of the track. This helps me when I travel abroad where the pitches offer bounce. If you work hard here in India, you reap double the rewards abroad. It’s easy to go overboard in, let’s say, South Africa or Australia sometimes, but when they have flat, batsman-friendly pitches that aren’t too much for the bowlers, it’s easy for us to adapt because in India line and length are your best friends.

Glenn McGrath praised you and said you have raw talent. That must’ve felt good, no?

It is always nice to hear legends like McGrath talk you up and praise your ability. It’s a confidence booster for sure, to have someone like him critique your game.

A lesson you learnt the hard way?

It wasn’t a big thing... Actually, we had lost all wickets – this was in Sydney – and I was the No.11 batsman. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this guy whose restaurant we were frequenting those days. I got up to open the door of the dressing room and at that moment Sachin paaji scolded me. “ Tu kya kar raha hai? Focus kar, tujhe batting karni hai,” he said. I was shocked when he did that. We’d already lost two matches before that and there I was, trying to socialise with someone. That scolding left quite an impression on me.

Do photo shoots make you feel like a celebrity?

Kabhi kabhi lagta hai ki hum bhi famous ho gaye hain. Away from the dust and heat of the ground, sitting still while someone does your hair or puts makeup on you isn’t that bad a trade off. I haven’t done too many of them, but they are fun.

What does Umesh Yadav do when not playing cricket?

I love music. I’m listening to Lungi Dance and Allah Wariyaan from Yariyaan on loop. I also watch movies. We went to see Dhoom 3 in South Africa. Chennai Express was better than Dhoom 3 though.

So does that mean Deepika Padukone is better than Katrina Kaif?

NO! It just means that Chennai Express is a better film.

It’s never too late

Umesh aspired to be a policeman and he first thought of pursuing cricket at the age of 19, when most budding cricketers are already playing nationals.

Umesh Jadav endorses the Nike Tiempo 94 sneakers.

From the April 2014 issue of FHM India.