The man in a nutshell

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
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

Coach :Dennis Lillee
Guru :Pratyachch Mishra
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'

His characteristic: 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.
SuperstitionWhenever 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.
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.
* 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.

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."

In A Nutshell

Spin To Pace

Sreesanth was a leg-spinner in his childhood, and modelled his action on Anil Kumble. Encouraged by hi brother and his ability to bowl yorkers, he switched to fast bowling.

NCA Call-Up

In 2000, he was called up to the National Cricket Academy. He was also selected for the MRF Pace foundation in Chennai.

First-Class

Sreesanth made his first-class debut for Kerala against Goa in the 2002-03 season. He took 22 wickets in 7 matches in Ranji Trophy and got into the South Zone team.

Hat-trick

In November 2004, Sreesanth took a hat-trick in a Ranji game against Himachal Pradesh. His progress was halted by a hamstring injury the following year.

Big Leap

Sreesanth represented India B in the Challenger Trophy in 2005. He was leading wicket taker (seven) and got the Man of the Series award.

Top Figures

Sreesanth snapped up 6/55 against England at Indore in 2006. It is his best bowling in ODIs.

His School

Sreesanth went to different schools as he lived in many cities as a boy. He passed his secondary education from Kochi’s Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan school. He graduated in psychology through correspondence from Annamalai University.

His Club

Sreesanth has played for Emakulum Cricket Club since he made his debut for their senior team as a 15-year-old. His presence has helped the club attract a sponsor to hold bowling camps for Kerala players.

His Mentor

P Sivakumar is not just Sreesanth’s first coach, but has been his mentor throughout. He also handles the medium-pacer’s financial affairs.

Game Changer

Sreesanth captured the nation’s imagination in December, 2006 when, on a lively Wanderers pitch in Johannesburg, he captured eight for 99 in the match to bowl India to their first Test win in South Africa.

Soothsayer

Prem Kumar Sharma Astrologer

2011 will be a significant and result-oriented year for Sreesanth. He will do his debut but performance will do his best but the performance will be moderate. His performance will be a boost to the team and it will bring glory.

God-Fearing

“He is very religious and always carries his puja kit with him. Before going to a match or tour, he will pray at the St Anthony Church and Ganesh temple here,” says his mother Savithri Devi. The number 36 on his jersey was also finalised after consulting a numerologist.

Music Lover

He first wrote a song for an album Jago India before the 2007 Cup. The idea of forming a band came after that and Sreesanth formed S36 with his friends in October last year. The name is a combination of the bowler’s initial and lucky number. The band released a CWG theme song and has recorded a World Cup anthem for the team.

Multi-Tasking

Sreesanth has been adept at multi-tasking since childhood. Both his elder sisters used to learn singing, and the younger sibling learnt by listening to them practice at home. The speedster is a good sketch artist. “If you sit in front of him for sometime, and he has a paper and pencil, he will make a sketch of you,” says his mother