Pragyan Ojha skips one-dayers to focus on regaining form

HYDERABAD: Desperate times call for desperate measures. Former India player Pragyan Ojha has decided to take the bull by its horns by opting out of the one-day tournament (Vijay Hazare Trophy) so that he can focus on 'regaining his mojo'.
Ojha, who returned to Hyderabad from Bengal after quite a lot of drama, has had a poor run this season as the left-arm spinner looked a pale shadow of his former self.The 31-year-old, who still dreams of regaining his place in the Indian team, wants to work on his game so that he can be ready for the next domestic season.
"This has been a really disappointing year for me as a player. Things haven't gone well but it is just one bad season and I am confident of getting back into the groove. Though people may be saying that I am finished, I know that there is still a lot of cricket left in me. It's just that I have had a rough time before the start of the season and that did effect my performance," Ojha told ToI here.
"I have decided to skip the one-day tournament so that I can work on my game. It's not that I am done and dusted. I just want to refocus on my game and work out the glitches which have affected my bowling," he said.
"Last year, I was the highest wicket taker for Bengal with 15 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. I had also done well for East Zone in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. But this year, I thought it will be better to give up the shorter versions to focus on the longer format of the game as that's where we get to work out on our game," he added.
Ojha said that he has informed the HCA officials about his decision. "I have spoken to the officials and also had a chat with skipper AT Rayudu. He too felt that it was good decision to take a break."
The spinner will spend some time at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru next month. "I am planning to go to the NCA and work out with former India spinner Narendra Hirwani. It will be a 10-15 days stint and have spoken to the officials at the NCA about it.
"After that I will be training with former Hyderabad spinner Kanwaljeet Singh. He has been my coach since the U-19 days and knows a lot about my game. Hence, he is an ideal person to help me out during this phase of my career," Ojha said.
"I will then be playing in the leagues in Chennai and also in Hyderabad. I am also hoping to go to England for a short time for some county cricket," he said.
Ojha said that the controversy over getting the NOC from Bengal did play a major role in his performance this season. "For almost eight months I didn't get to play competitive cricket. The NOC came at the last moment and hence I didn't get enough match practice before the First Class games. It was not easy to just go and bowl. The rhythm was affected and my confidence hit an all-time low. I have put that phase behind me and now I want to do everything possible to be once again Hyderabad's strike bowler," he said.