Date:05/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/05/stories/2008050560752000.htm

Sport - Cricket

A good experience so far: Praveen

Principal Correspondent

Praveen has been an able foil to Steyn and Zaheer
He constantly talks to Zaheer and gets his inputs

Bangalore: In a bowling attack that has Dale Steyn, Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble, Praveen Kumar has managed to carve his own space.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore seamer, who has been an able foil to Steyn and Zaheer, spoke about the need to mix it up while bowling in the Twenty20 format.

“A good ball is a good ball in any format of the game. Yes in Twenty20, we bowlers too have to change our tactics like how the batsmen do. May be bowl yorkers, low full-tosses, vary the pace a bit. You got to do all this and try your best to may be not concede more that 20 runs in those four overs but yes at times 30 runs, 40 runs and more are also scored,” Praveen Kumar told the media here on Sunday.

The Uttar Pradesh seamer also mentioned that he is learning a lot through the IPL.

“It has been a good experience so far. Last year I did play the domestic Twenty20 tournament but now when I am playing the IPL, I have more experience. I am learning a lot and I constantly talk to Zaheer Khan and get his inputs.

“As a team we had a tough time losing matches but we won the last match against Deccan Chargers and our team combination is working well though we cannot say what will happen against Kings XI Punjab.

“We have a good pace attack and we will play to the best of our ability,” said Praveen, who also added that he was primarily a bowler and not an all-rounder.