This week we had the opportunity to interview one of Penang’s rising talent Vinay Singh. The interview was carried out as below.
Q: How long have you been playing the sport called Cricket?
A: I have been playing the sport for the past 10 years that is since the year 2005.
Q: What made you take up wicket keeping?
A: Initially there wasn’t a wicket keeper in the Penang U-12 state team therefore I had no choice but to accept the role if I wanted to be in the playing 11. After a while though, I found a liking to it as it came naturally to me so I took it as an opportunity to better myself in this role as I slowly moved up the ranks from the U-12 level up to the senior state level and finally representing my country Malaysia in the U-16 and 19 age levels.
Q: How long have you been playing for the Penang Senior state team?
A: I have been in the Penang senior state squad for the past 8 years that is since the year 2007 but I have been regularly featured in the playing 11 for the past 4 years since 2011.
Q: What is your most memorable moment in your cricket career so far?
A: My most memorable moment in my cricket career so far will be the time when we were crowned champions of the U-16 Asian Cricket Council in 2012. This was because not only did we had the privilege and honor to be the first ever Malaysian team to win an ACC trophy but we also finally managed to beat our nemesis Nepal in a low scoring thriller of a final.
Q: If you had not taken up Cricket, what will you have been doing today?
A: If I had not taken up cricket, I would have been a footballer as I was a goalkeeper for my primary school team before taking up cricket.
Q: Who are your cricket idols?
A: My favorite Penang cricketer would be Mr Avtar Singh, who was like me used to open the batting for Penang and we also share a similar style of batting where we like to build our innings. My favorite International cricketer will be one of the great Indian batting legends who is also known as “The Wall” by cricket pundits around the globe, Rahul Dravid.
Q: How do you keep yourself fit, especially since you are a wicket keeper who is known to be one of the most fit and agile member in the team?
A: For my pre–match session, which means at least a couple of weeks leading up to the match, I will do some jogging, play some tennis, net practice and do a lot of fielding drills. For my post match session, which means a day prior to the match and after the match I make sure I get complete rest and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Q: How do you balance your time between your studies and cricket as you were not only a National and state cricketer but also an A star student?
A: I always believe that one should be able to prioritize at what is more important at that Particular point of time be it preparation for an important exam or match. I also try to minimize the time in doing stuff that are of less importance or bring no value to me.
Q: As you know the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is being played and who do you think are the favorites to lift the coveted trophy come this 29 March?
A: Well, that is a tough one as my mind says New Zealand is going to win it as they are currently playing a fearless brand of Cricket but my heart says India as they have always been the team that I have supported since my childhood days.
Q: What are you currently doing now and what are your plans for the future?
A: I am currently pursuing an American Degree Program in Inti-College Penang and I am due to leave for the States most likely at the end of this year or early next year. In the future, I would I ideally want to pursue a career in cricket, but I also want to ensure that I obtain a degree in Mechanical Engineering to fall back on as well.
Thank You Vinay Singh for your time and I wish you all the very best in your cricket career as well as in all your future undertakings.
By,
G. Guhan
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