Fawad Alam opens up on touring England after almost a decade

Middle-order batsman Fawad Alam is excited to be part of the Pakistan team on their tour to England, for three Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

Alam, who scored a century (168) on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo, played the last of his three Test matches in New Zealand in 2009 and was last seen in Pakistan colours in a 2015 One-day International (ODI) in Bangladesh.

While speaking in a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday, the Karachi-born batsman said that England tour is a team bonding opportunity for players as they will spend most of the time together in a bio-secure bubble.

"Wearing the star of Pakistan is always a proud feeling. A cricketer plays first-class and domestic cricket to reach this stage of their career,” said Fawad.

“The Pakistan team is like a family as we have to stick with each other for the next couple of months. We are trying to help each other as it will help the team improve and will also have a positive impact on individual performances as well. We are also getting the opportunity to learn about the players on individual basis,” he added.

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Fawad is relishing the opportunity to work with head coach-cum-chief Misbahul Haq and batting coach Younis Khan, after having previously shared the dressing room with the duo during their playing days.

“There are big names in our coaching staff. We learned a lot from watching them perform and we will learn more under their coaching. I shared the dressing room with Younis Khan and Misbah when they were playing. Now I have the chance to learn under their coaching, which I consider a blessing for me," he said.

The 34-year-old is going to miss the spectators during the aforementioned series as the matches will be played behind closed door due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Fans have always supported me. Applause from spectators in the ground will be missed but we know our supporters will still cheer for us watching us play on TV," he concluded.