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Asad Ali: I never got a proper chance to prove my worth in international cricket

Asad Ali said that he is a better bowler now than when he made his international debut.

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Asad Ali © PakPassion.net
Asad Ali said that his bowling skills have improved since he was left out of the Pakistan team © PakPassion.net

By Amir Husain

Asad Ali is one of a long list of Pakistani fast bowlers who have been paying their dues on the domestic circuit for many thankless years, waiting for that elusive international call-up that always seems to be within touching distance yet too far. After playing domestic cricket since 2005, Asad has built up as strong a case for international selection as any bowler in the country, having picked up 401 first-class wickets from 91 matches at 23.1 with twenty-six five wicket hauls and six match hauls of ten wickets or more, to go with equally impressive Limited Overs returns of 113 List A wickets at 20.6 from 63 matches and 55 T20 wickets at 23.2 from 50 matches.

In the 2011-12 and 2012-13 domestic seasons, Asad picked up 102 first class wickets at an average well south of 20, in doing so, asking serious questions of a selection panel that had continually been refusing to select him – these two seasons changed that as the much longed for international call-up finally materialized when he was asked to represent Pakistan on the limited overs tour of India in 2012-2013, though he was unable to find a place in the playing eleven. He finally got the opportunity to play for Pakistan against Ireland in the summer of 2013 but in four ODIs and two T20Is spread over subsequent three months and as many series, Asad was unable to cement his place in the team.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Asad discusses his first experience at international level, his goal of returning to the Pakistan team and his views on the structure of domestic cricket in Pakistan.

PakPassion.net (PP): You emerged on the international scene last year, played a few games for Pakistan and then disappeared. Why do think that happened?

Asad Ali (AA): I don’t think that there was any specific reason for my exclusion from the team apart from a disruption due to a fracture in my hand, after which I never got a chance to represent Pakistan again. Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali were inducted as my replacements in the team and to their credit, they made full use of their chances which really ended all hopes of a comeback for myself at that point. Looking back, I feel very satisfied with my performances in whatever international cricket I have played so far. I am doing well in domestic cricket at the moment and Inshallah, I will make a comeback to the national team very soon.

PP: Surely you are a better bowler than what your international statistics suggest?

AA: Yes, I would agree with that assessment as I feel I never got a proper chance to prove my worth in international cricket. In my T20I debut against the West Indies, I was asked to bowl just one over of the innings and then they didn’t bring me on again in that game. How could I have impressed by bowling just one over? I am still at a loss as to why I was not tested properly as a bowler.

PP: What work have you done on your bowling skills since being out of the Pakistan team?

AA: I have done a lot of work on my bowling skills since being left out of the team. I am doing fitness sessions and playing domestic cricket for my department, SNGPL. These first-class matches are very important for a player to make a comeback to the national team. If you perform in these matches, you have a high chance of being called for national duty. In addition, I am working on my bowling action where my arm was dropping and not rotating properly. I have worked on this issue and rectified my action to a certain extent since my exclusion from the team.

PP: Do you think you deserve another chance in the team?

AA: I think I deserve a chance on the basis of my performances in domestic cricket. I have been doing pretty well this season and have been amongst the wickets in all the matches I have played for my department so far. I have a target in my mind and once I am able to achieve that target, I should be back in the team. I am working very hard and hopefully you will be able to see me in Pakistan colors again soon.

PP: What are your plans for the ongoing domestic season?

AA: I aim to take at least 50-60 wickets in this domestic season and I am well on course to achieve my target. I have already taken 30 wickets in 6 first-class games (Quaid-e-Azam Trophy – Gold) I have played thus far. If I continue getting wickets in the matches to come, I will surely be able to achieve my aims.

PP: You have 401 first-class wickets. Do you think you never fulfilled your potential in international cricket?

AA: No, I would not say that I have failed to fulfill my potential. As I said before, I was never given a proper chance to demonstrate my ability in international cricket. Only I know how badly I was utilized as a bowler in the matches that I played in. I was the top performer in the domestic T20 tournament and was also one of the top performers in the fifty over format. Only on that basis did I make my debut for Pakistan. Surely I deserved better treatment in international cricket. Anyhow, I am focused and determined to do well in domestic cricket again and this time I want to cement my place in the Test side.

PP: What went wrong? Why were you not successful in international cricket?

AA: You cannot perform if you’re barely given any chances to do so. What could I have done in a handful of games? I was brought at the wrong time to bowl in T20Is and so on. As far as the ODIs are concerned, I was wrongly used in them too. I was only asked to contain the runs. Irfan used to bowl an attacking line while my job was just to stop the flow of runs which is not my forte. I am an attacking bowler.

PP: Do you think you were played too early on the basis of success in a T20 tournament and needed time to mature as a bowler?

AA: No, not at all. I had been performing consistently in domestic cricket before my international debut. In the season I was selected to play for Pakistan, I was the top performer in limited overs cricket and had taken 46 wickets. I was among the top five bowlers in domestic cricket and wanted to be part of the Test side. It was the right time to bring me into international cricket. It is the best age for a fast bowler to perform.

PP: Do you think you are a better bowler now compared to when you made your international debut?

AA: Yes, off course. I am a more mature and wily bowler now. As I have international experience under my belt, there is no pressure at all and I know, as a bowler, I can meet the standards of international cricket. I am always trying to bring variations into my bowling, which has enhanced my bowling skills greatly. I am sure, I will be able to put those skills to good use whenever I am asked to play for Pakistan again.

PP: What are your views on the new domestic cricket format?

AA: To be honest, I am not at all satisfied with this new format. I prefer the old format over this one. The departmental and regional teams should be separated and should not be competing against each other. It is a complete mismatch. The concept of Gold and Silver leagues is a good one and I am happy with it but there should be a separate Gold league for departmental teams and a separate one for the regional teams, given that departmental cricket is high quality cricket. The players playing for different departments are much more mature and skillful than players playing for regional teams.

PP: Doesn’t it allow bowlers like you to take more wickets with regional teams also in the mix?

AA: To some extent, that is true, but it is not a given that if we are playing against regional teams, we would be able to take more wickets as compared to when we are playing against departmental teams. Cricket has an element of luck and the team that is better on the day wins. On that subject, let me say that whenever we play and lose to a regional team, we face a lot of criticism but when a regional team loses to a departmental team, no eyebrows are raised. This should not happen.

(Amir Husain is Senior Editor at PakPassion.net. The above article is reproduced with permission from pakpassion.net)

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