The Coronavirus pandemic has put the entire world on a standstill. Due to which many sporting events of cricket, have either been postponed or cancelled. Now because of such happenings, the impact can be seen on employees working for this sport.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) which was supposed to kick off from March 29 has been suspended for an indefinite time, and in the wake of lockdown, many IPL franchises are also facing tough times. Eventually, it is affecting the persons who were presumed to work in the 13th edition of the cash-rich league, but now they are battling out the challenge of lack of work. One such name is Bulbul Ahmed, a throwdown specialist from Bangladesh.
Bulbul had joined Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for IPL 2020. Previously, he has worked with Bangladesh and was roped in by SRH for the upcoming season. The Bangladeshi national also revealed that contrasting to other specialists, he runs before throwing the ball, and most probably this quality would have impressed SRH’s new head coach Trevor Bayliss to hire him.
“That’s how I got the offer. They liked my style, probably. Normally, people stand and throw the ball, but I do it like a bowler using the dogstick. I run in and throw the ball,” Bulbul told Sportstar.
According to the report in Sportstar, Bulbul did not sign a contract but was promised Rs 1,20,000 and 5,500 as DA. He is currently living off allowances from cricketers and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
“My first tour was the Asia Cup 2018 in Dubai, and then, I also went to the World Cup. A contract would have been dependent on my performance. I don’t have major demands. The money could have helped my family. IPL was a big platform, and it is sad that the sporting world is suffering due to the virus,” added Bulbul.
Throwdown specialists are crucial aspects behind the training of batsmen. For Team India, two throwdown specialists – one who throws the ball with the right hand while others throw the ball with his left hand – work to help batsmen improve their skills.
In cricket the throwdown specialists generally support the batting coach and work with a particular batsman, bowling at a specific line and length for hours. This is the prime reason why throwdown specialists are essential for any team.
Last year, during the 2019 World Cup, India opener Shikhar Dhawan had hailed India’s throwdown specialist Raghu. Dhawan, during an interview, termed Raghu as the most energetic person in the team.
“Raghu is a legend. He has been with the Indian side for a while now. He’s very sharp; I would say he is the most energetic person in the team. We would all like to thank him, without him, our batting would not have improved so much. He throws at nearly 150kph tirelessly,” Dhawan had told ICC.
