Karim patiently awaits another call

The word `disappointment' does not have any meaning for wicket keeper Saba Karim. He has experienced the feeling that goes with the word many times before. So at the moment, he does not really want to say that he is disappointed at not finding a place amongst the 23 probables selected for the ICC knockout in Kenya.

Sitting at his office in the Corporate Communications Department of TISCO, the Indian wicket keeper said today, "You can say that every time I am dropped, I take it as a challenge. The motivation to work all the more harder comes back. At the beginning of this year, I was nowhere in the reckoning. I came back through sheer hard work. I will have to do it all over again."

One has to believe him simply because the fire is still there in his eyes. His jaws strut out a bit more when he is asked to comment on his non-inclusion. He still is looking for a pertinent reason that led to his ouster. But he does not comment on it. When pestered, all that he says is, "I had given my fitness certificate to the Board, long time back."

At the moment, he is waiting for a pair of new lens that will be more comfortable to his eyes. He had been to England, recently to meet a noted eye surgeon by the name of Professor Buckley. "He told me that other than the lens, nothing else was required. I have already ordered for them in London and I am expecting them within a couple of days," said Karim.

He also explains the reason for seeking expert opinion on the matter even after being treated at Sankara Netralaya in Chennai. "Actually, I was not feeling very comfortable with the specs that I have been wearing. So I decided to look for a smaller lens that would help me. A wicket keeper's job is quite difficult. Vision and the comfort factor play a very important role. So that was the reason that I opted for a smaller lens. However, I will also wear spectacles over them."

Saba Karim at the moment is busy working out at Arun Lal's academy in Calcutta. This year, he feels that he has a large number of domestic matches on hand to prove himself once more. One can just wish him the best.