BECKENHAM: Pakistan batter Abdullah Shafique has expressed confidence ahead of the three-match Test series against England, saying the President’s Trophy Grade-II helped in his recent success.

Abdullah spoke about his return to the Pakistan side in an exclusive interview with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and credited the President’s Trophy Grade-II for his recent success.

“President’s Trophy Grade-II really helped me get to where I am today as I played in seaming and spin-friendly conditions across four venues, toiling under the peak summer sun and scoring valuable runs under pressure for my team,” Abdullah said.

He told about his friend Saif, a throwdown specialist who helped him throughout the tournament.

“Our PSL campaign was about to end in the last week of April when I received a call from MIT Solutions who invited me to play the Grade-II tournament and help qualify for Grade-I. I felt slightly perplexed in the beginning but sought help from one of my close friends Saif and asked him to accompany me throughout the tournament.”

The 26-year-old highlighted the importance of hard work, noting that he took his game to the next level by playing in challenging conditions.

“If you are serious about your game and put in the hard yards, then the game rewards you and new opportunities begin to open up,” he continued.

“Grade-II was tougher than I expected, the conditions varied from seam to spin across Islamabad, Abbottabad and Peshawar. The challenges on and off the field toughened me, and my goal was to upskill myself, take my game to the next level, and come back as a changed player,” the top-order batter observed.

The Sialkot-born batter was upbeat about facing England and adapting to the conditions.

“I’ve played one game for Yorkshire in the County Championship last summer and feel confident about adjusting to the conditions at Leeds. I’ve faced England a few times at home (2022 and 2024), and this away series against them will be an exciting challenge,” he said.

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