PANKAJ GOT A RAW DEAL FROM UP
PANKAJ SINGH, the latest addition to India's pace battery for the Australia tour, was rejected by selectors in UP at the under-22 trials in 2003 as he was "raw" and not "properly dressed".

The then-chairman of the UP Cricket Association's senior selection committee Anand Shukla wasn't available for a comment, but a committee member during his tenure Yusuf Ali denied any such happening. "I don't remember exactly about Pankaj at the trials in Kanpur," he said, adding, "He might have not been up to the mark that time." "Many UP players have done well at the national level after being rejected by the state, but the allegation that he didn't dress properly for the trials is far fetched," the former selector added.

In 2003, Pankaj met Munawar Ali, coach of Kolkata's Mohammedan Sporting, who took him to Bangalore where the India A team were practicing and former national coach John Wright was present. His effort at the nets impressed everyone and even Dravid, who was present, praised him. There was no looking back as Pankaj got a call from Brijesh Patel to join the MRF Pace Academy. K Parthasarthy spotted him there and took Pankaj to Rajasthan. And thus began his real journey in cricket.

Elated father!
Pankaj's father Sukhraj Singh was elated over the success of his youngest son. He said being an ex-Army man he always wanted Pankaj to be a senior officer.
He hastened to add, "I never stopped him from playing cricket or other games. But I had never imagined it would become a passion."