Nabi has strong mentality to succeed in international cricket: Former J&K bowling coach Krishnakumar

P Krishnakumar

J&K's former bowling coach P Krishnakumar believes pacer Auqib Nabi's mental strength will keep him in good stead during his maiden Test trip to Sri Lanka.

"Nabi has grown at a time when there was a lot of hardship in J&K, and that has made him mentally very tough. After taking so many wickets, when he was not getting that India nod, he was a bit down sometimes, but he never gave up hope because he has a strong mind. I kept telling him to just keep performing and leave the rest to fate and he did just that, and has now been rewarded," Krishnakumar, a former Rajasthan captain and pacer himself, told mid-day over the phone from Bengaluru on Thursday.

Krishnakumar was J&K's bowling coach for the last three seasons. Nabi spoke to him after getting his national call-up. "I told him just one thing. ‘You be Auqib Nabi.' I told him not to think that he needs to do anything different now that he's playing for India. Yes, obviously, the quality of batsmanship will be better [in the opposition], but I reminded him that he has the quality, because he has dismissed all the best batsmen in India at the Ranji Trophy. If he bowls to his strengths without looking to impress anyone, I'm sure he will succeed," added Krishnakumar.