Why is Shafiq feeling confident ahead of the Test series against Australia?

Posted on by
Asad Shafiq confident of scoring runs in Test series against Australia Pakistan cricket

Asad Shafiq: “My goal this time around against Australia would be to play longer innings and get some hundreds during the series”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Pakistan batsman Asad Shafiq is brimming with confidence ahead of the upcoming two-Test series against Australia as he feels he is in excellent form.

In the lead-up to the series, Shafiq scored an unbeaten 221 for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match against Islamabad last month.

Furthermore, he captained the Pakistan A side that took on Australia in a four-day warm-up game and struck a superb 69 in the second innings.

The 32-year-old is now ready to make his presence felt and continue his fantastic run of form in the Test series against the Baggy Greens, which begins on October 7 in Dubai.

“I am feeling very confident as I have done well in the current first-class season where I scored a double-hundred against Islamabad,” he was quoted as saying by PakPassion. “I suppose, I made good use of a break from cricket after the Ireland and England tour which was forced upon me due to surgery on my hand.

“Since then, I have played 3 first-class games in Pakistan and now the tour game against Australia has given me another chance to get myself ready for the challenge ahead. My goal now is to get myself back in good form and then perform well to help Pakistan win this series.”

Shafiq also admitted that he wants to use the Australia series to make up for his subpar performance in the Test series against England, where he mustered 91 runs, which included a half-century, at an average of 30.33.

“In terms of personal performances, I feel that despite some good scores, I wasn’t able to make the kind of runs that I had expected to get and also what Pakistan fans were expecting of me as well,” he said. “What I would like to do now, is to rectify my shortcomings such as when I got out in the 40s and 60s after doing the initial hard work. My goal this time around against Australia would be to play longer innings and get some hundreds during the series.”