Imamul Haq ‘desperate’ to banish Test demons

Pakistan opener Imamul Haq wants to put his best foot forward in Test cricket, when cricket resumes, after the world gets through the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Imam is yet to score a Test century after 11 games under his belt. He has only scored 485 runs at an average of 25, with the help of three half-centuries, which has left a lot to be desired.

“I’m desperate to prove myself in Test cricket because it is the toughest form of cricket. I have not been able to perform well, so far, but I want to score lots of runs in this format. Once cricket resumes, people will see a different Imam in Test cricket,” said Imam in a teleconference.  

The left-hander is not in favour of resuming cricket behind closed doors amid Covid-19 fears.    

"The charm is lost without the crowd and it feels odd playing without them but if that is what the PCB wants then we have to support that," he said. "It's the ICC's decision as well as the boards' but I do think that crowds should be allowed.”

The 24-year-old also spoke about the online fitness tests conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in order to gauge the fitness standards of cricketers.   

"The fitness tests went exactly like our previous tests. Luckily, I had a gym set up at my home just before the lockdown so I've been keeping myself fit and taking help from the trainer," he said.