Pitch perfect

Being a fast bowler is an extremely tough task, and if you are a woman fast bowler, then it becomes even more complicated. Because, as we were told or as we have seen, women can't bowl fast. Leave alone women, in India there have been very few men who could be genuinely called fast bowlers.

So Jhulan Goswami is a rare breed, one of a kind. She is officially the fastest woman bowler in the world. It may come as a surprise to many including to Indians themselves that an Indian can be known as the fastest bowler. Goswami, who became the first Indian woman to be honoured by the ICC as the best woman cricketer, is jubilant and a bit surprised to have received the award. Considering her performance, she should have no reason to be taken aback. She played a crucial role in the women's team series win in England, and has been consistently doing well.

As Anjum Chopra, who has played with her for quite some time, puts it, "She plays her heart out and gives her 100 per cent every time she steps onto the field." Her dedication to the sport is amply borne out in the quality of her performance.

Despite bowling at a speed which is considered to be superfast in women's cricket, Goswami, however is not obsessed with bowling fast. She maintains that it is the line and length which are more important, rather than steaming in and bowling express-paced deliveries. "At the end of the day, the column against your name shows wickets rather than the speed of the delivery." It's not surprising that her favourite bowler in the world is Glenn McGrath.

It has been a long and hard journey for Goswami, who had a tough time after she took up cricket professionally. Juggling her travel to far-flung places to practice and her studies, along with her cricket, was an extremely arduous enterprise, but Goswami was determined to do well at everything. She made her debut in 2002 and since then has been one of the most consistent performers on the Indian team.

Of course, having been part of the team for five years, she has seen the lowest of lows and highest of highs. "Initially, it used to hurt to see the kind of disinterest there was in the game, from the spectators as well as other parties, but then playing for the country at any level is a matter of great pride to anyone who has ever represented the country."

Though this award has come as a surprise, it is an extremely special moment. A nomination was the best she was expecting, yet holding the trophy was something which, according to her, is "difficult to put in words". Still, she hasn't set any new targets for herself. "All I want is the country to do well, individual honours are secondary."

Does the tag of being the fastest bowler in the world burden her, as in the case of her male fast-bowling counterpart, Shoaib Akhtar, who remains in the news for all the wrong reasons? "I don't pay too much attention to the speed part, of course it is an integral part of my game, but it's the accuracy which matters."

To combine pace and accuracy is something which, she says, she has learnt over time. "Earlier, I was just running and bowling fast, without realising the importance of accuracy." But, she soon grasped the importance of both aspects, and worked to improve both of them. And it would be safe to say that her hard work has reaped rich dividends.

Sachin Tendulkar is her favourite batsman, and she looks up to him for inspiration. "His dedication to the game is exemplary and inspiring to cricketers all over the world." So has she had a chance to bowl at the great man? "Not yet," she exclaims, "but I would definitely love to do so!" Though she has met the master blaster on a couple of occasions and says that his humility touched her immensely.

With the best cricketer award in her kitty, Goswami hopes that women's cricket will get more recognition and that people will begin to appreciate the work put in by all the people involved with the game.

Goswami is confident that the future of Indian women's cricket is bright and that things are already looking up. "We have a good team, and if we continue the way we are performing, then there is no reason why we can't be the best team in the world." Best team or not, we do have the best woman cricketer in the world!