By CricketCountry Staff
India's destructive middle order batsman Yusuf Pathan feels that he has the ability to score big hundreds and that it is unfair to label him as a specialist in limited-over cricket.
Published: Oct 11, 2011, 11:35 AM (IST)
Edited: Oct 11, 2011, 11:35 AM (IST)
Yusuf Pathan said he is working hard to get back into the Indian team © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
Nagpur: Oct 11, 2011
India’s destructive middle order batsman Yusuf Pathan feels that he has the ability to score big hundreds and that it is unfair to label him as a specialist in limited-over cricket.
Yusuf said, “I can play at any position. If the team management wants me to bat up the order, I am ready for it. Whenever I spent time in the middle I have made it count. Last year, I scored a match-winning hundred against New Zealand and then scored another hundred against South Africa. Besides, I have also scored big hundreds in Ranji and Duleep Trophy over the years. I enjoy batting for long periods. The T20 craze has started only now, but I have been playing first-class cricket for a decade. I would also like to play Test matches. It’s unfair to label me as one-day specialist,” he said.
He also added, “There is more to my batting than just hitting. You can’t succeed at the international level if you have limited strokes. I can play all-round the wicket. If you analyze my hundreds, you will see I have scored runs on both sides of the wicket. I like to play aggressively and that’s the way I have played cricket all my life and I will continue to do so.”
The hard-hitting batsman says he is focused on getting back into the Indian team. “At present, I’m focusing on getting back in the team and for that I have to score consistently. I am working very hard. Ever since I started playing the game, I have dreamt of representing the country. It’s an honour to play for India. If I keep on working hard nothing is impossible. Hopefully, I will win more matches for my country. Of late, I have been playing a lot of Twenty20 cricket so it’s good to play in the Challenger Trophy where I have done well in the past. I hope to do well this time, too,” Yusuf was quoted in TOI.
He also added that winning amtches matter to him more than scoring hundreds.”We have a very talented batting line-up. More often than not, one of the top-order batsmen scores big. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh love to bat long. When I go in to bat, I normally get five to eight overs in which I have to score as many runs as possible. You can’t do that without taking risks. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not. It can go either way. But I always try to give it my best shot. I won’t be making hundreds everyday, but if my quick 30s or 40s can make a difference, I will be a happy man,” said Pathan.
