Aamer Jamal: “He (Hafeez) asked me about my highest score, which was 80 in first-class games, and he told me to beat that. I never thought I’d beat my personal best, but I just tried and I succeeded”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan fast bowler Aamer Jamal has revealed that team director Mohammad Hafeez challenged him to beat his highest score in first-class cricket during the three-Test series against Australia.
Going into the series, which was the first time he had played Test cricket for his country, Jamal’s career-best score in first-class cricket was 80.
In the third Test against Australia in Sydney, he produced a jaw-dropping batting display and proceeded to make 82 off 97 balls, which included nine boundaries and four sixes.
Jamal admitted that it was a proud moment for him as not only did he stamp his authority at the Test level, but he also beat the challenge Hafeez had set for him.
“[Mohammad] Hafeez talks to every batsman who is going to bat, they (the management) just want every batter to beat their previous highest. We were talking about that, he (Hafeez) asked me about my highest score, which was 80 in first-class games, and he told me to beat that. I never thought I’d beat my personal best, but I just tried and I succeeded,” the 27-year-old was quoted as saying by Geo Super.
In addition to his batting, Jamal was Pakistan’s most successful bowler as he took 18 wickets at an average of 20.44.
Following the Australia tour, he was involved in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and claimed one wicket in two games at an average of 97 and an economy rate of 12.12.
Jamal will now play for the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), which will be held from February 17 to March 18 in four cities – Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi.
Peshawar Zalmi Squad for PSL 9: Babar Azam (captain), Rovman Powell, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mohammad Haris, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan, Asif Ali, Naveen-ul-Haq, Umair Afridi, Dan Mousley, Mohammad Zeeshan, Lungi Ngidi, Mehran Mumtaz, Noor Ahmad, Salman Irshad, Arif Yaqoob
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