Abid Ali feels proud to play alongside Skipper Babar Azam
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ISLAMABAD-Pakistan opener Abid Ali feels proud for playing next to Babar Azam, saying expectations were high from the limited-overs skipper.
“I am proud to play alongside Babar. My best wishes are with him. People are expecting more from him now, since he is the captain in two formats. I hope he continues to perform for Pakistan,” cricketpakistan.com.pk quoted Abid as saying.
“When I was batting with him on my debut, I was under pressure but he backed me and advised me not to worry and take my time at the crease. When I finally reached my hundred, he hugged me with all his heart. It is a pleasure to watch him bat from the other end,” he said.
The Lahore-born batsman is disappointed to miss out on the chance to represent Pakistan at the historic venue of Lord’s, which is also known as the Home of Cricket.
“It was my wish to play at the Lord’s cricket ground, as it is one of the best venues in the world. Every cricketer looks forward to play there. I am disappointed that there won’t be any match at Lord’s on this tour, but we have to abide by the safety measures. I am prepared to play at any venue and will adjust accordingly,” he said.
Lahore Qalandars had included Abid in their squad, as a replacement, just before the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) but he did not get a chance to play as the season five was postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19.
“When I finally got selected in the PSL, the tournament got postponed. I want to play T20 cricket for Pakistan. If I perform well in the domestic T20 tournaments, only then I can get selected. I will try my best to perform in those competitions, so that I can make my debut in T20s as well,” he said.
Despite not getting enough practice in Pakistan due to the lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the right-hander was confident of a strong showing in the upcoming Test series against England.
“Preparations aren’t ideal for England tour but I am mentally prepared to give my 100 per cent. I am training hard to improve my fitness level and working on eradicating my weaknesses,” he said.
