The Hindu : Sport / Football : Three probables for Pakistan tour from SBT

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

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Sport - Football

Three probables for Pakistan tour from SBT

P.K. Ajith Kumar

THRISSUR: Why SBT lies at the bottom of the table in the NFL is one of the great mysteries of the year in Indian sport. The Thiruvananthapuram-based team is blessed with many talented players, and its attack, according to Indian star Jo Paul Ancheri, is undoubtedly the best in the country.

No wonder then that three SBT players have been named among the Indian probables for the forthcoming historic tour of Pakistan. Abdul Hakkim, N.P. Pradeep and Mohammed Rafi are delighted that they have been selected for the Indian camp, which gets underway at Phagwara next week.

Their coach at SBT N.M. Najeeb is also very happy for him. "The very fact three of my boys have been selected when the team is placed at the bottom of the NFL proves that we have some excellent players," he says. "And the fact is there are two other players who I thought should have also made it — Abdul Noushad and Abdul Basheer were extremely unlucky to miss out. And I do

hope all my three boys make it to the final Indian squad."

Only one of them — Hakkim — has actually played for the senior Indian team so far.

The 28-year-old from Palakkad had made his international debut in 2001 and even scored a goal in his very second match, against Brunei in Bangalore. He represented the country in the Merdeka tournament in Malaysia that year.

Hakkim says the selection to the Indian camp is a bit of relief for him in what has been a disappointing season for his team. "I don't know why we've done so badly. Yes, we are aware that our problem has been the last half-hour of our matches, as we've conceded too many late goals. It's frustrating to think that we have to go back to the second division again. You won't get any calls from the Indian selectors when you are in the second division. Nobody cares about the second division."

In 1999 he scored 13 goals from seven games for Calicut in the South Zone inter-university championship at Karaikudi. After that, he made his way to the Kerala team for the Santosh Trophy in 2001 at Thrissur. Then, in the following year's Santosh Trophy in Mumbai, he scored seven goals to lead Kerala to a memorable victory. He's scored four goals in the NFL this season.

"He's one of the most talented players I've come across as a coach," says Najeeb. "I like his fighting spirit and confidence to take on any player on the ground."

What makes Pradeep special is the fact that he can play in any position, except under the bar — a younger version of Ancheri.

"But it's as half-back that I enjoy playing most," says the 22-year-old from Idukki.

He's already played for India in the under-21 and under-19 competitions, as well as in the SAF Games in Islamabad.

He's eager to make his senior Indian debut. "I hope I get picked from the camp," he says.

"He's one player who's improved fast," says Najeeb. "His versatility gives me a lot of options in the team." Pradeep is also a very good free-kick taker.

Rafi is another young player from who can help Kerala triumph in the country's premier domestic football championship. He's also one of the most promising strikers in the country; his five goals in the NFL are ample proof that.

He, however, hadn't expected to get selected to the Indian camp. "I didn't even dream of that," says Rafi, who turns 23 on May 24. Yes, this looks like a birthday gift. You see, I hadn't even played for the Indian juniors."

Najeeb, however, wasn't surprised. "He's an exceptional player," says the veteran coach. "He's got tremendous speed and is a sharp shooter. And he can come up with excellent headers too. He has all the qualities to be a fine striker."

Rafi says he got his speed from his days as a sprinter at his school in Kasaragoad. "I used to enjoy running 100m." But football was always his first love. His big break came when he played for Kerala in the South Zone under-21 championship at Trichy in 2002-03. "Then I was selected

to the SBT team, and I improved a lot under Mr. Najeeb."

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