Panchkula : It’s Thursday morning in Panchkula and Vikram Solanki, in defiance of a famous description often used against him by Ian Botham in the commentary box, is out there for the fitness sessions scheduled for the day. In fact, one of the most illustrious county cricketers of Indian origin could not look more happy or content, as he wanders along the fairways of Tau Devi Lal Stadium, venue for the Indian Cricket League 20-20 Championship.After playing for Rajasthan in the 2006 season, the Worcestershire captain is now playing for Mumbai Champs in what is considered to be his second outing for a domestic side in his native country.

Excerpts from an interview

* You made your debut for Worcestershire as a 16-year-old in 1992. In 2005, you were appointed as the captain of the side. How has the experience with Worcestershire been?
I was fortunate to be picked for Worcestershire after playing for Wolverhampton Cricket Club. I still remember when I made to the Worcestershire; there were big players like Graeme Hick, Tom Moody and Chris Tolly, who were playing for the county at that time. I have always looked up to Graeme Hick, and he has been a huge influence in my stint with Worcestershire. The last couple of years have been very good for the club. We won the one-day Championship in 2006, and the club now also has got a new ground equipped with floodlights.

* After playing for England in the early part of this decade, you and Kabir Ali also played in the 2006 Ranji Trophy Super League representing Rajasthan. How did it come about, and how difficult was it playing in the domestic circuit in India?
Last year, both of us were free during the winter season, and I always dreamt about playing for my home side. The conditions are suited for the batsman in India, and it was a great learning experience for us. I got a chance to play against most of the big names in Indian cricket. It always feels great to play in India. And since it was my first tour to India as a cricketer, I have very fond memories of representing Rajasthan.

* Your career has seen quite a few highs and lows. After a disappointing debut for England in 2000, you were again recalled for England in 2003. You started gloriously, hitting a sparkling century against South Africa at The Oval. But after that, you have been on the fringes of the England squad. Where do we see you in the coming years?
The last few years have been good for me. I remember that I got a score of 24 as my highest score in my first eight ODI’s, and I was quite ordinary in the field. But after that I have worked on my fitness level. I think I am having my best time of my career with Worcestershire. Although I was picked up for the Twenty-20 World Cup held in South Africa early this year, I think I need to perform better to stage a comeback into the England squad.

* After playing in Twenty-20 version of the game for the last three years in England, how does it feel to play in Twenty20 cricket in India? And what are your views about the Indian Cricket league?
Twenty-20 Cricket has revolutionised domestic cricket in England. The kind of crowd support it has got over the last three years has been tremendous, and I enjoy being a part of it. I have been working on my bowling to adapt to this format of the game, and I expect I can be of some help for my team, Mumbai Champs. We have already seen plenty of action in Indian Cricket League, and I think this format of game will generate a lot of interest in India too.