Rashid looks to break out of SEC’s prison, where grandpa Birrell has the keys

Rashid Khan looks to break out of SEC's prison

Should Mumbai Indians Cape Town beat Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 final at the Wanderers on Saturday, some of the credit should go to Lincoln Burrows, Michael Scofield, and the rest of the characters of Prison Break.

"The series gives you an idea of how to get out of difficulties in pressure situations," Khan told a press conference on Friday. "It gives you ideas, for the game as well, and you have to use that. Sometimes you forget things as a captain, so I had the idea to write things on my arm to be able to know about the next over."

Khan was, of course, not being entirely serious. The original question that begat his answer was how he has kept himself occupied for the past six days.

He played 10 games in six cities in 27 days. But he hasn't been on the field since Saturday. What has he done with his downtime?

"I sat in my room and watched Netflix a lot," Khan said. Hence Prison Break, and its unintended metaphors for how to win games of cricket.

"It's difficult going from one city to another city, where there are different conditions and different pitches and you have to react. But that's where your experience comes in. As a professional cricketer, you have to use that experience.

"The beauty of life is that you face tough times and tough situations, and that's where your skill will be tested and you will know how good you are.

"When the pitch is spinning and I take five or six wickets, I don't really enjoy it. But when there is no turn and I take one or two wickets with a good economy rate, that's more enjoyable."

Clearly, Khan is having a good time at the SA20. Only seven bowlers in this year's competition have taken more wickets than him, and just 20 have a better economy rate.

More importantly, he has captained Cape Town from the bottom of the standings – where they finished in both previous editions of the tournament – to the top this year, when they won seven league games and lost only two.

Then the Capetonians beat Paarl Royals by 39 runs in the first qualifier at St George's Park on Saturday to clear their path to the final. And put their feet up.

"Today is the first time we're going to practise [after Saturday]," Khan said. "The schedule was very busy throughout the month – we travelled one day, played the next day, and travelled again the next day. The body needs rest and to be refreshed to make sure we are ready for the final. So we took a few days off."