Izhaan Sayed maakt zich op voor zijn derde seizoen bij ACC. Het is dus hoog tijd om onze Indiase professional het hemd van het lijf te vragen. Lees en geniet!
Why did you start playing cricket?
I got into cricket because of my dad; he was a cricketer himself. It didn’t take much time for me to fall in love with the game once I was introduced to it.
What are your strong points as a batsman?
As a batter I feel I am someone who likes to take his time early in the inning to get the game going at my pace which helps me control the flow of the inning and pace it accordingly going forward.
What are your strong points as a bowler and what type of a bowler are you?
I am someone who likes to swing the ball both ways. Bowling skills is something I rate higher than pace so I would say I am more of a swing bowler. Accuracy is one of my strongest points as a bowler.
Who is your idol and why?
A lot of people would name famous personalities as their idols but for me it has always been my father, his passion for sports has always driven me to do well in everything that I do.
What are the professions of your parents?
My father has a business in healthcare where he designs and executes modern operation theatres for hospitals and my mother has her own business of shawls and stoles.
For which club did you play your last season back home and how did it go?
I play for a club called PYC, the start of the t20 season was good but we couldn’t finish it well. The 2 day matches were great as well, we beat some really good teams through the tournament which was really nice.
Does sport run in the family, have you got any family members who are good in sport?
Yes sport is a big part of our family, my dad used to play cricket back in his days and even now he is a sportsman infact both my parents are, they play darts and they’ve represented our country in the world cups as well. My dad is the first Indian to play the professional darts corporation (PDC) world championship in Alexandra palace London 2007.
What are your hobbies?
I have lot to be honest and they keep changing, I’ve started playing a lot of pickleball lately, I’ve always loved music and I’m very passionate about it.
How did you come in contact with ACC?
I was actually on vacation in Netherlands visiting my sister who was living in Belgium at the time and I just wanted to come and have a bowl as I was on a 35 day vacation and was missing cricket, I got in touch with Mr. Nitin Potdar and asked him if I can have a bowl at the club while I’m here and that’s how our relationship began.
What is your favorite dinner?
Nothing beats chicken biryani made by my mother.
What do you like about the Netherlands?
I absolutely love everything about it. The people, the lifestyle, the vibe and oh how can I forget the weather haha.
What is until now the highlight of your career?
2015-16 season. Got selected for the India Under 19 team. Nothing better than the BCCI logo on your chest.
Can you describe the place where you live back home?
I live in a city called Pune, it’s a very vibrant city with a lot of youngsters, a lot of eateries and the weather is actually great here.
Have you got any brothers and sisters and what are they doing?
I have an elder sister, she is an architect and also a graphic designer.
Do you play any other sports and why do you like them?
I play a lot of sports like football, pickleball, darts ofcourse haha and a bit of badminton.
How old are you?
28.
Which sport clubs do you support and why?
Chelsea football club, I have been following them since I was 18. I was a big fan of Frank Lampard and that’s how I started supporting Chelsea.
Have you got any advice for young kids who want to become good cricketers?
I’ve gone through enough ups and downs in this sport to only realize one thing. Just keep doing the things that are in your control and don’t let anything else affect your preparation. Control the controllables.
Who is your best coach and why?
My best coach is my childhood coach MR. Harshal Pathak. The kind of mentality which is required to fight at the highest level is something which he has engulfed in me. I am forever grateful for his style of coaching and hope everyone gets to train under coaches like him.
What are your goals for coming season at ACC?
Its simple, get ACC back to where it belongs, in the topklasse.
Can you describe your own character, what are your strong and weak points?
My strong points would be I’m a very loyal person, I am patient and calm in most situations which helps me think rationally even under pressure and weak points would be I’m not very expressive and hold a lot of things back.
What are your ambitions as a cricket player?
Well at this stage I just want to continue playing cricket and keep doing well for any team that I’m playing. Playing overseas cricket is something which I see as a long term thing if everything allows me to.
Are you studying or working next to cricket?
I have started a small business dealing in sports equipment and also started studying for a strength and conditioning course so I can train athletes to perform better professionally.
What is your favorite movie and why?
My favorite movies have to be the rush hour trilogy. Simply because it is super funny.
What is your favorite book and why?
Not a reader, AT ALL.
What do you know about Dutch cricket?
I know quite a bit now that I’ve been playing the domestic league there. Theres so much potential in dutch cricket and I really hope it reaches the level we all know it potentially has.
What do you like the most about your own country and why?
The convenience factor, everything is available at any given point of the day around your house. It kinda spoils you but who’s complaining haha.
Which country do you like the most besides your home country and why?
The best country I’ve been to has to be Portugal, I was in the Algarve region and I just fell in love with it. I don’t know what it was but it just felt like I could live there forever. The beaches the people the food everything about that place was just amazing.
Why do you love cricket?
It’s like therapy to me. I am who I am today because of cricket. I get to be the true Izhaan on the cricket ground and to me nothing else matters.
Can you describe your cricket career until now?
Well to keep it short it’s been a roller coaster, I’ve seen so many highs and so many lows. Happy tears and sad tears. Got to represent my country in my teens which is a feeling I can never forget but also missed out on many seasons due to injuries so all these experiences have been nothing but great learnings for me and its just taught me to be grounded and humble.
Where do you want to be and what do you want to do in about ten years from now?
At some beach? Chilling? Haha. I don’t know where I’d want to be but I know one thing for sure and it’s that I want to be attached to the sport and give something back to it.
