Mohammad Kaif has been out of the Indian team for exactly six months. While he is hard at work at work improving his game, trying his best to earn a recall, he believes that fate has played a part in his cricketing career. Kadambari Murali of The Hindustan Times met the batsman in his posh Noida house, where Kaif was philosophical about his present situation.Kaif was also nostalgic about his selection into the India under-15 squad

In fact, as he says, his getting his first big break itself (making the eventually, World Cup-winning u-15 India squad), was by chance. “When you go for these age-group trials, luck plays a huge part. You have 700 (now about 2000) boys each facing about four balls each before someone decides if they move to the next round. One unplayable ball somewhere and you could be facing life as a lower division clerk somewhere instead of a cricketer.”

And then, almost inaudibly, he murmurs. “I sometimes wonder about that”. The dreamy look is gone and he looks up. “I didn't make the probables camp of 40 but was called back by Sarkar Talwar, a selector and the u-15 coach. God knows what he liked about me but whatever it was, I had had my first brush with fate. I did well in the camp and practice games and later, being part of that squad gave me a slight edge when I played grade cricket for UP. My journey began there. But I still had to work really hard, there's no substitute for that.”