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LAHORE, Oct 12 (APP): The left-hander batsman Imam ul Haq said that he had worked on how to win matches for the country during his time out of the team.
Speaking at the post-match media interaction at the close of play on the first day of the first test at the Gaddafi stadium here on Sunday, he said we are professional cricketers and our job is to play cricket irrespective of the fact of being in or out of the team, adding playing domestic or county cricket his only motive was to give noticeable performances to catch eye of the selectors.
On his comeback, he said he said he was happy to perform for Pakistan and disappointed not to turn the 93 into three figures, adding had he scored 150 instead of 93 such performance may take the match away from the opposition.
On whether it was scripted to play fast against the fast-bowlers and the role taken over by Shan Masood against spinners, he said ‘there is nothing scripted in cricket and a batter plays as the situation demands in a particular moment of the match.’
Imam said there are certain phases of a game when one has to respect a bowler for good bowling and on other occasions one get opportunities to hit boundaries.
“In the beginning I got opportunities against fast bowlers to score fast while Shan Masood got good balls to hit against the spinners. There was nothing scripted.”
Imam said nothing could be predicted about the third or the fourth day Gaddafi stadium pitch although it turned more than expected on the first day of the test match at Gaddafi, adding that the South Afircans had anticipated the it will be a spinning track that’s why they played three spinners. He said he expected more turn and spin on the third and fourth day when patches are formed on the pitch and it will be more difficult for the batters to score runs against spinners.
He said professionalism is about adaptability and as professional cricketer one must adapt to the situation, adding that as a batsman one must brace for swing on the Green tracks in South Africa and get ready for the spin challenge in Galle, Sri Lanka. “As a professional cricket, it is our responsibility to adapt and perform according to the situation,” he responded.
Imam ul Haq believed the first hour on the second day of play was important and if one of Mohammad Rizwan or Salman Agha could score a big hundred it will take us 400 runs and that will be an ideal situation for us, adding that the Proteas were a professionally side and they would come back strong.