Pakistan Shaheens’ captain Sahibzada Farhan on Friday expressed his frustration over not getting a fair chance as an opener for the senior team.
Farhan is set to lead Pakistan Shaheens’ red-ball team in two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’ on the upcoming tour of Darwin.
During Shaheens’ pre-departure press conference, the top-order batter expressed gratitude for being appointed as the captain of the squad earlier today.
The 28-year-old Farhan has played five T20Is in Pakistan’s senior team, however, he believes he did not get a fair chance as a top-order batter.
He played three matches in 2018 as an opener, then had to wait for six years for his next game. On the New Zealand tour earlier this year, Farhan returned to the team but was given a chance at number five and number seven.
Sahibzada Farhan, while responding to a question during the press conference, shared his opinion over the sporadic chances he got, while expressing disappointment on the fact that he did not get enough opportunities as an opener.
“I’ve always played as an opener, and I want a chance at that position. I haven’t been given a fair chance at my number like other guys have,” said the opening batter.
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“I’m from Pakistan and I also play domestic cricket here. I have the right to play for Pakistan as an opener at my number, where I’ve been performing well for the last 3 years.”
He managed only 60 runs in his five T20I appearances, however, he stated that lack of performance did not shake his confidence because he was not playing at his usual position.
“My confidence hasn’t shaken because I haven’t been given a chance at my number. If I get the chance to open and then I fail to perform well, then my confidence might go down. Right now, I haven’t gotten the right opportunity that I’ve been waiting for,” Farhan shared.
He also advocated for more matches each year for Pakistan Shaheens’ and Pakistahn under-19 team in order to help build a strong bench strength for the national team.
Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, followed by a tri-series with the Northern Territory side and Bangladesh in Darwin. They will also participate in the nine-team Top End T20 Series.
The 15-member red-ball Shaheens’ squad will depart for Darwin in the wee hours of Saturday from Karachi via Dubai.
Pakistan Shaheens squad: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Haseebullah, Qasim Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin and Mohammad Ali.
Player Support Personnel – Jason Gillespie (head coach for red-ball matches), Abdul Rehman (head coach for white-ball matches), Mohammad Masroor (Assistant coach-cum-manager), Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist), Imranullah (trainer) and Usman Hashmi (analyst).
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