Yasir Shah sets eye on record of quickest to 200 Test wickets

KARACHI: Pakistan’s ace spinner Yasir Shah has set his eyes on the record of the being quickest to complete 200 wickets in Test cricket.

Yasir, who earlier reached 100 Test wickets in 17 Tests and 150 Test wickets in 27 Tests to become the fastest spinner to reach both the milestones, needs 35 wickets in 7 Tests to break the 80-year-old record of Australian Clarrie Grimmett of fastest to 200 wickets.

Talking to journalists in Karachi, Yasir stated that although he doesn’t run after personal records as Pakistan’s success is more important for him, but it would please him to have some top records to his name.

“My aim is to perform wherever I play and in whichever format I play. I try to get maximum wickets for Pakistan,” Yasir said.

“I have set my eyes on trying to take 35 wickets in the next 7 matches to complete the record of fastest to 200 wickets,” the 31-year-old bowler added.

Shah, with 165 wickets in 28 Tests, added that he’s also working hard to prove himself equally important in the shorter format of cricket, saying that he’ll give his best in the upcoming BPL season to impress the selection committee for the T20 format.

“I am trying to gel my place in for shorter formats as well. I am bowling well in domestic tournaments and leagues,”

“I am now going to play the Big Bash League where I will try to perform well and prove myself eligible for T20s,” the bowler added.

Replying to a question, Yasir Shah said that he wants to play a series against India and wishes to bowl against India’s top batsman and captain Virat Kohli.

“India vs Pakistan competition is good for cricket, It is my wish to play against India and perform well for the country against India as well. And yes, I want to bowl against Kohli,” Shah added.

Yasir further added that he’s trying to bowl maximum with Dukes’ balls as Pakistan will have to play with the same balls when they’ll tour England next year.

The spinner added that he’s focusing on his bowling only at the moment.

“I am focused on my bowling continuously, working hard to enhance my googly. On sidelines of bowling, I also work on my batting, but bowling is always my priority,” he said.

The bowler also spoke about fitness issues and said that he is comfortable with PCB’s decision to have mandatory fitness marks for selection of players.

Shah said that he couldn’t keep himself fit according to set benchmarks due to limited facilities in his hometown of Swabi.

“Fitness is also mandatory along with performance,” Yasir said.

“There’s a fitness standard set by PCB and that’s good. I am from Swabi and there were limited facilities for training, that’s why I couldn’t achieve the benchmark set for fitness,” he explained, adding that he has now achieved the standard fitness marks.