11 Indians who benefitted most from County Cricket

11 Indians who benefitted most from County Cricket: Cricket and in particular the Test format is all about preparation. The first class structure of any country and its standard tells you a lot about the importance a team gives to worthy preparation. It is here that the next crop is unearthed and given confidence to take on the best. But not only does domestic cricket help the native players but in many cases revives careers of international stars. County Cricket in England is a classic example. It is not for nothing that greats like Ganguly and Zaheer urge Indian Cricketers to have a stint with these counties whenever possible. And the results are there to back their belief. Today we take a look at the 11 Indians who gained immensely from playing in County Cricket: 1. Farokh Engineer: Farokh Engineer. (Photo Source: PA Photos) Although Nawab of Pataudi Sr. started the trend for Indians to play in County Cricket, it was Farokh Engineer who showed the way forward for Indians who wanted to gain experience in England. The India wicket-keeper batsman played 164 matches for Lancashire between 1968 and 1976, scoring in excess of 5000 runs, taking 406 catches and effecting 31 stumpings. Engineer went on to become a certainty for the Indian side for years to come, even becoming the first-choice keeper for the Rest of the World XI. Also Read – Top 10 Bowlers fastest to 100 wickets in ODIs 2. Mohammad Azharuddin: Mohammad Azharuddin. (Photo Source: AFP) Before he got himself embroiled in the ugly match-fixing episode, Mohd Azharuddin was without a doubt one of the finest, and most stylish, players around. The right-hander had found himself in the middle of some woeful form before he fought back with consecutive centuries against New Zealand and England. Hoping to make the most of his form, Azhar signed up for Derbyshire in 1991. He played for the County side in 29 matches spanned over 3 years, scoring 10 fifties and 8 hundreds. His international form took a turn for the better as well. His average was back over 40 for only the second time in 6 years, and he followed that up with averages of 60+ in 1994 and 95. 3. VVS Laxman: (© Getty Images) Laxman struck a super run of form during the 2009 English summer where he topped Lancashire’s first-class run tally with 857 runs in 11 matches at an average of 65.92, including four centuries. Laxman also did well in the shortest format. In three Twenty20 Cup matches he was the top run-getter with 159 at 79.50. The Hyderabad batsman’s stroke-play is pleasing on the eye and his penchant for pulling out the extra-ordinary from time to time is the stuff of legends. 4. Rahul Dravid: Rahul Dravid. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Dravid had always been keen on honing his batting skills in testing English conditions by playing in county cricket. He had discussed it with John Wright, the then Kent coach, during India’s 1998-99 tour of New Zealand. The talks finally materialised when Dravid made his county debut for Kent in April 2000. In July 2000, Kent’s away match against Hampshire was touted as a showdown between two great cricketers- Dravid and Warne. The former came out on top. Coming in to bat at 15/2, Dravid faced 295 balls scoring 137 runs – his maiden hundred in county championships. He concluded a successful stint with Kent aggregating 1221 runs from 16 first class matches at an average of 55.50 including 2 hundreds and 8 fifties. 5. Kapil Dev: Kapil Dev. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Kapil Dev has etched himself in the memory of all Indian cricket fans, scripting the 1983 World Cup triumph, and his stint at Northamptonshire and Worcestershire could have well played its part in it. The former India captain turned up in English County 40 times, scoring over 2000 runs and claiming more than 100 wickets, but more than everything his experience in England would have played its part in helping the then-India captain make his crucial decisions when they won the World Cup in England. 6. Sourav Ganguly: Sourav Ganguly. (© Getty Images) Former India captain Sourav Ganguly regularly sought to play in England to get more exposure. He played for 3 teams, Glamorgan, Lancashire and Northamptonshire, between 2000 and 2006. Although his numbers with the sides may not be flattering, the experience surely had its impact on helping him become one of India’s most successful captains. It also had a telling impact when he made his return to the Indian side. He signed off from Test cricket with an averages of 61.13, 62.59 and 54.79 in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively. 7. Zaheer Khan: Zaheer Khan. (© Getty Images) Amongst everyone else on the list, no one else has made more of a county stint than Zaheer Khan. The left-arm pacer’s bowling average was often flirting with the mid-forties before he decided to play in England. He played for Surrey and Worcestershire, taking 79 wickets in 17 matches. And, when he came back to play for India, he soon pushed himself to the top of the bowling list. ‘Zak’ has played 92 matches for India, taking 311 wickets, but off these, 151 scalps came in the 5 years that followed his county stint in 2006 at an average of 27.47. 8. Virender Sehwag: Virender Sehwag. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Virender Sehwag made the sensible choice of moving to Leicestershire in 2003. The swashbuckling opener played only 6 games, but left his impression with 2 hundreds and a fifty. His form with India too underwent a severe upturn. He went on to score 309 against Pakistan, the next year. Sehwag also averaged more than 55 in five of next seven years. 9. Javagal Srinath: Javagal Srinath. (Photo Source: Reuters) Javagal Srinath had an absolutely storming time in England, with the conditions being suitable for a bowler of his type. The right-armer played 23 games for Gloucestershire and Leicestershire and ended with brilliant figures of 123 wickets at an average of 19.9. The confidence rubbed on his performance in Tests for India as well, with the Karnataka pacer averaging less than 30 six times in the 8 years between 1995 and 2003. 10. Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar. (© Getty Images) Sachin Tendulkar’s class and ability has never been under question. Even as a 16-year-old, he was held in high regard and was ear-marked as one for the future. The Master Blaster, still at the nascent stages of his career, made the decisive move of playing for Yorkshire as a 19-year-old. He played 16 games, scoring 7 fifties and one hundred, and the experience lifted him to the level he was to play at for the next 20 years. He averaged 91+ the next year, and 70 the year after that, and started to set benchmarks people would only dream of reaching. 11. Cheteshwar Pujara: Cheteshwar Pujara. (© Getty Images) Pujara had been in poor form on the tours to New Zealand and England in 2014 and decided to lean towards county cricket to resurrect his Test career. Though the campaign with Yorkshire did not begin too well his unbeaten 133 off 182 deliveries included 17 fours, against Hampshire proved that he had learnt a lot. The knock helped the defending champions romp home in style against a hapless Hampshire outfit by 305 runs. The innings also ensured that he concluded the season with a healthy average of 52.80. 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