Advertisement

Updated April 1st, 2021 at 14:34 IST

KKR and New Zealand's Tim Seifert reveals how he switched careers from Hockey to Cricket

Before opting for Cricket as a career, Kiwi wicket-keeper Tim Seifert was a professional Hockey player and also represented New Zealand in the under 18 category

Reported by: Ujjwal Samrat
Tim Seifert/Instagram
| Image:self
Advertisement

Kolkata Knight Riders might not be the favourites for the IPL 2021, however, it is known the franchise has the ability to shock the other teams. It is to be noted that the KKR team has won the IPL twice and will be eyeing their third title in the IPL 2021 as the squad has yet again banked upon young names be it national or international players. One of the most talked-about inclusions in the KKR team is New Zealand's wicket-keeper batsman Tim Seifert. Tim Seifert had joined Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement to injured USA pacer Ali Khan during the IPL 2020. This year, Siefert is expected to debut for KKR as an opener. He had joining the KKR camp on March 26.

Before opting for Cricket as a career, Seifert was a professional Hockey player and also represented New Zealand in the under 18 category. Recently, KKR's Twitter handle shared a video in which Seifert has revealed when he decided to switch his career and how playing hockey enhanced his cricketing skills.

"I was a big Hockey and Cricket player. So I used to play Cricket in the summer and Hockey in the winter. I used to play striker for a lot of my career playing Hockey. Things I loved about the striker you know you are diving in the 'D'. Trying to get the flicks and scoring goals. That's a great feeling to beat a defender and into the corners and scoring that goal for your team. that's how I'd like to play my Hockey. I think that kinda allows you to play those switch hits, paddles, and all those kinda shots square of the wicket. Because that's what literally the hockey shots are. And you will see a lot of players like Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, they were hockey players themselves. So they are great square of the wicket and I think it definitely helps," said Seifert. 

Talking about the switching of his career from hockey to cricket, Tim Seifert said, "I made to New Zealand's Under 19s (Cricket) and it was a great opportunity to play there. That winter after the world-cup, I got an opportunity to go over to England to play club cricket over in Yorkshire Huddersfield League. That was the first kind of real chance of playing cricket all year round. So, that was kind of the beginning of really knowing that I was gonna go the cricket way."

Tim Siefert is one of the eight overseas players in the KKR squad and the only second New Zealander after Lockie Ferguson. Siefert raised many eyebrows when he smashed the fastest T20 century in New Zealand domestic cricket history. Seifert, who reached three figures off 40 balls, beat the record previously held by Jamie How. How had hit his hundred off 45 balls for Central Districts against Wellington in 2017.

(Image Credits: Tim Seifert/Instagram)

Advertisement

Published April 1st, 2021 at 14:18 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo