Competition among openers good for Pakistan team: Abid Ali

 

KARACHI: Pakistan opener Abid Ali has said that the competition among openers to cement their place in the team is good for the team.

The 31-year-old was included in Pakistan’s squad after Imam-ul-Haq’s injury, scored 74 off 67 in third ODI against Sri Lanka at National Stadium on Wednesday.

This was Ali’s only fourth inning after making his debut earlier this year during a series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates. He was dropped from World Cup squad despite scoring a hundred.

However, being in and out from the team did not hurt his morale.

“I try to take positive when I’m not selected even despite performing, I believe everything happens for a good reason,” he said.

“This is good for team that there’s a strong competition among openers as it encourages everyone to give their best which will be beneficial for the team,” Ali said.

He added, that whenever he is in middle, he tries to remain positive and give his best for team’s cause.

“I try to learn from legends of the game by watching their videos,” he said. “When I go back, I watch video of legends from different countries to help myself improve the game. Most recently I am following Misbah ul Haq and Younis Khan.”

When asked if he would be available for team as back up wicket keeper, the batsman said that his focus is only on his batting.

“Wicketkeeper is something I do as my hobby, at the moment my total focus is on my batting and I’m working hard on it,” he said.

He also named his man of the match performance to his daughter.