Pakistan batsman Abid Ali: “If selected, I will give my hundred percent”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Pakistan batsman Abid Ali has revealed his desire to become the most dependable player in the national team in all three formats.
Abid was recently removed from Pakistan’s World Cup squad at the last moment in order to make space for batsman Asif Ali and left-arm seamers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz.
In addition to Abid, left-arm pace bowler Junaid Khan and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf were also dropped.
However, Abid now has his sights set on Pakistan’s Test series against Sri Lanka in October, which is part of the inaugural ICC Test Championship and could potentially be played in Pakistan.
Should it happen, it will be the first time Pakistan has hosted a Test match on home soil since March 2009.
“If selected, I will give my hundred percent,” he told The Nation. “I am currently trying to improve my fitness as well as batting technique. Selection is not under my control. If given a chance against Sri Lanka, I will try to perform well and help the team register crucial victories.
“I went to England with great confidence but unfortunately, I couldn’t get a chance to represent the country in the [World Cup]. But it is a thing of past now and I am looking forward to perform in the upcoming series.
“Fitness plays a key role in modern cricket, that’s why I have been working very hard on my fitness. All the coaches and trainers at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) are very professional and cooperative and under their guidance, I have been improving a lot and keen to serve the national team in a much better way.
“My debut against Australia was good but after that, there was some pressure, which I overcame later. Right now, I am eager to deliver and hopefully, people will see me performing well against Sri Lanka.
“I believe in hard work, which always pays off and it was my hard work and passion [that] made me an international cricketer. I will continue to work hard and try to further strengthen Pakistan’s opening department with my consistent performances.”