| Name |
Shanthakumaran
Sreesanth |
|
| Nick
Name |
Sree,
Gopu, `The Prince of hat-tricks', |
| Profession |
Cricket
player, aspiring poet |
| Date
of Birth |
February
6, 1983 |
| Birth
Place |
Kakur,
Ernakulam district, Kerala, India |
| Languages
Known |
Malayalam,
English, Tamil, Hindi |
| Education |
* Choice School, Kochi & Florence Public School,
Bangalore
* Studying psychology |
| Family |
Father:
Shanthakumaran Nair (a retired Life Insurance
Corporation of India officer)
Mother: Savithri Devi (Treasury department
official)
Brother: Dipu Santhan (runs a music company
in Kochi)
Sister: Nivedita (Television actress in
Kerala)
Brother-in law: Madhu Balakrishnan
(play back singer) |
| Cricket |
Batting
style:
Right-handed
Bowling style: Right-arm fast-medium
Clubs played: India, Asia XI, Kerala, Kerala
Under-19s |
| Cricket
Debut |
Test debut :
India v England at Nagpur - Mar 1-5, 2006
ODI debut : India v Sri Lanka at Nagpur
- Oct 25, 2005
Twenty20 Int. debut : South Africa v India
at Johannesburg - Dec 1, 2006 |
| Working |
as an assistant manager with Bharat Petroleum
when not playing cricket. |
| Coach |
Dennis Lillee |
| Guru |
Pratyachch Mishra |
| Favorites |
Diety
:
Ganapati
Spot : Sri Krishna Temple at Guruvaiyur
Singer : Michael Jackson
Books: 'Art of Fast Bowling'. 'Sunny Days',
'Why not you'
Sports: Football,
Table tennis,
Hockey
Leader: Dr.A.P.J.Kalam
Sportsperson: Lance Armstrong,
Allan Donald
Author: Agatha Christie
|
| Hobbies
and interests |
* Avid reader,
never misses newspaper articles also
* Dancing.
* Can draw portraits, sing well and write poems
|
| Religious
artifacts in his room |
Crystal Ganesha,
Lord Krishna, Sai Baba, the Bible and an Arabic
prayer book |
| Inspiration |
Dipu
Santhan, his brother who played cricket at the
university level. |
| Guide
and mentor |
P
Shivakumar (Ernakulam Cricket Club president) |
| Cricket
training |
*
Ernakulam CC.
* MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. |
| 'Jago
India' |
The
song was written by him and sung by his brother-in-law
singer Madhu Balakrishnan for an album 'Desh' |
| Fame |
Wanted
it badly because he feels that this recognition
is priceless. |
| His
characteristics |
* Always wears a blue wristband on the field.
* Carries a laptop with him and would like to
watch the footage of the good balls bowled by
him. Never worries about the bad balls.
* On-field antics always catches the media attention
and always a topic for discussion |
| Superstition |
Whenever
he is out playing he asks his mother to light
the lamp before the deity at home. Also insists
the lamp should not be put out till the play is
over. |
| Brand
Ambassador |
Muthoot
Group |
| Car |
Honda City Civic
Coupe DX, |
| The
name of his home |
Taj |
| Break
dance |
He
was the winner of the South Zone Boogie Woogie
competition in 1995. |
| Facts |
*
Played a lot of tennis ball cricket in his young
age
* Was the sports captain of Florence school and
led the football, badminton, hockey and cricket
teams.
* In an inter-school competition of Bharatiya
Vidhya Bhavan he won the player of the tournament
award.
* His first break came at 18, when he was selected
to attend the MRF Pace Foundation. He went to
Australia as part of an exchange programme with
Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy.
* Initially a leg-spinner-cum-opening batsman
inspired by Anil Kumble. Later, he decided to
become a medium-pacer.
*The colony where his home is located, was renamed
Sreesanth Nagar. Now it is back to Kailash Nagar
as most of the people were not happy with it.
* Once when he wanted to meet Tendulkar he was
stopped by a security guard. He managed to bluff
his way in, saying that Tendulkar had paid for
his scholarship.
* Received an anonymous
card 'Believe in your dreams. Don’t keep
dreaming.' The lines are now imprinted in his
heart.
|
| About
him |
Mother:
"Cricket
is in his blood. I knew he would be a sportsman.
His mannerisms were like one. And all he wanted
to do was play cricket."
Brother: "I always encouraged him. I knew
he has this passion for the game. He was a very
determined boy. I think the best thing about Sree
is that he set his goals very high from day one."
Sister: "He is a god-fearing
person. I think he has made it because of his
deep faith to Guruvayurappan. "
Moin Khan: 'This lad has the ability
to go a long way and serve his country with merit
and distinction.'
Javagal Srinath: 'What impressed me most was
his attitude'
Coach: "I knew he would make it to the big
league one day. Now the time has come. I am sure
he will perform great. He is here to stay in the
Indian cricket team."
Himself: "I am a tidy person
and I iron my uniform before every match."
|
| Records |
* He is the only
Kerala bowler to have taken a Ranji Trophy hat-trick
against Himachal Pradesh.
* Is the second person from Kerala next to Tinu
Yohannan to be in the Indian cricket team.
* He is one among the few bowlers who got selected
for the Duleep Trophy in their first season.
|
| Philosophy
in life |
"Heads on shoulders. Feet on earth." |
| Success
mantra |
Three D's in life,
dedication, determination and discipline, are
crucial for his success. Of these, he values personal
discipline the most. |
| Quote |
"Aim higher and
success will follow. Do not be content, and get
stagnated with your own performance but aim higher
to do better." |
