Pakistan batsman Ali Zaryab: “I want to play all formats”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Ali Zaryab has expressed his determination to play all three formats of the game and insisted that he is not a red-ball specialist.
Zaryab has featured in 44 first-class matches to date and scored 2,894 runs, which includes eight centuries and 10 fifties, at an average of 41.34.
His white-ball career has never really taken off as he has been limited to six matches in six years.
The 26-year-old has played five List A games and scored 128 runs, which includes a top score of 68, at an average of 25.60.
He has also been involved in one T20 and made 22 runs.
Considering how few games he has played, Zaryab feels it is unfair for people to label him a red-ball cricketer.
“I want to play all formats. I have [44] first-class games, but only six white-ball games. I don’t think you can judge anyone based on six games. If I would have played 43 white-ball games, my numbers would’ve been better too. I play white-ball in local tournaments and Ramadan tournaments. Some of them were shown live. I performed there and played some shots,” he told PakPassion.
“It depends on the chance. If I would be given a regular chance in the National T20 [Cup] or Champions T20 Cup, if I would get 7-8 games and I would know that I am going to open, so I would know how am I going to to perform. If I don’t perform, then you could understand labelling me as a red-ball player [only]. I think it is unfair to label a player based on six games over six years.”
Zaryab recently took part in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he accumulated 269 runs in four games for Lahore Region Whites, which included a top score of 206 not out, at an average of 44.83.
Since he has yet to make his international debut, he has not been picked for Pakistan’s last few series.
The men in green travelled to Australia for a white-ball series and won the ODIs 2-1 before getting crushed 3-0 in the T20Is.
They then went to Zimbabwe and triumphed 2-1 in both the ODI and T20I series.
After this, Pakistan travelled to South Africa and lost the T20I series 2-0 before bouncing back to secure a 3-0 victory in the ODIs.
As for the two-Test series, the Proteas won 2-0.
Next up for Pakistan will be a two-Test series against the West Indies, which will be played in Karachi and Multan from January 16 to 28.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha