Ali Shafiq keen on donning Pakistan colours

Young fast-bowler Ali Shafiq has set his eyes on representing Pakistan in the future, after featuring for Multan Sultans during the recently concluded edition of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL).

While talking in an exclusive interview with pakpassion.net, the right-arm pacer stressed on the importance of improving his game in order to come in reckoning for national side.              

“The plan is to simply work as hard as possible and to get a level of skill which will get me noticed by the national selectors. My aim is to then continue improving my game and to make sure that whenever I represent Pakistan, I do so for a long time and with my best efforts,” said Shafiq.

The 22-year-old also revealed that his role model in cricket is former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis, but from the current lot his favourite pacer is India’s Jasprit Bumrah.     

“I have been a great fan of Waqar Younis’ bowling since the time I started to play hard-ball cricket,” he said. “In the current crop of bowlers, my favourite is Jasprit Bumrah as I really like the accuracy with which he can bowl, especially in death overs where he is almost unplayable.”

Speaking about his experience of playing for Multan Sultans during HBL PSL4, Shafiq said: “To be honest, I was half-expecting to be picked by a PSL franchise but was nevertheless overjoyed when my name was confirmed for Multan Sultans and I was really excited about the tournament. To take the award of player of the match in my PSL debut was another dream come true for me.”

Shafiq was also disappointed on not being picked for the ongoing Pakistan Cup, despite his good performance in the domestic circuit.  

“To not be selected for any of the sides in the Pakistan Cup is a huge disappointment for me,” he said. “It could be that the PCB is unaware of my recovery from injury but then no one asked me about it also, so this is confusing and disappointing to say the least."