Performance in IPL boosted my confidence, says Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav, the Vidarbha fast bowler, was getting ready to meet his college professor in Nagpur when he was informed about his selection in the Indian squad for the World Twenty20 being played in the West Indies.

Yadav, a coalminer's son, will replace Praveen Kumar, who was ruled out on Thursday because to an abdominal muscle strain.

Yadav, whose name was not in the list of 30 probables announced a month before the tournament, didn't really know how to react when he was informed about his selection.

“I am shocked, I don’t know what to say,” the 22-year-old told HT minutes before boarding a flight from Nagpur to Mumbai on Thursday evening. Yadav impressed with his pace and accuracy in the seven matches he played for the Delhi Daredevils in IPL-III. “Performance in the IPL did boost my confidence, but selection in the national team never crossed my mind,” he said.

Asked how his family had reacted to the news, Yadav said, “Initially, they were concerned that I would again be away from home. It's been just eight days since I returned home from the IPL and again I have to travel. Having said that, they are probably happier than me right now.”

Yadav’s selection, though, will have to be cleared by the International Cricket Council’s Event Technical Committee. The committee has David Richardson (ICC, chairman), Robert Bryan (Tournament Director), Campbell Jamieson (IDI representative), Tony Howard (WICB representative), Alan Wilkins (independent nomination) and Sanjay Manjrekar (independent nomination) as its members.

While Yadav was understandably elated in the Orange City, Praveen Kumar was obviously disappointed in Bridgetown. An MRI scan ruled the swing bowler out of the tournament.