Despite being sidelined from the national team, Fawad Alam said he will continue his pursuit of playing for Pakistan again. PHOTO: AFP
Having not donned the national colour for almost three years now, left-handed batsman Fawad Alam has questioned his endless snub from the national team despite being a consistent performer in the domestic circuit.
Alam, who struck a century on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2009, played just two more games the same year before being discarded from the longer version. He scored 250 runs from these matches at an average of just below 42.
The 27-year-old last represented Pakistan in a Twenty20 game against New Zealand in December 2010 and his last One-Day International (ODI) game was against South Africa, a month ago in Dubai. He averages around 38 in the 27 matches he played.
Since his snub, the middle-order batsman has regularly featured in domestic events for his departmental and regional teams.
He also had a notable last season as he averaged over 66 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with a total of 534 runs from ten innings for Karachi Whites while in the President’s Trophy, he scored 535 runs at an average of over 38 for NBP. In the President’s One-Day Cup, Alam amassed 214 runs from four innings at an average of over 71.
Despite his impressive domestic performance, Alam said he was baffled at being constantly ignored for the national team.
“It’s not just that,” Alam told The Express Tribune. “I have been performing consistently since the last three years and have scored in the thousands.
“It’s beyond me why I am nowhere in the scene for national selection. I am looking for reasons as others are making comebacks regularly.”
Earlier this year, Alam along with Sohail Khan and Khalid Latif, was banned by the Karachi City Cricket Association for 12 months for criticising their coach former cricketer Tauseef Ahmed during the Super Eight Twenty20 competition.
But Alam insisted indiscipline was not the reason for the ‘ordeal’.
“I played PCB’s Ramazan Twenty20 event. I would not have been allowed if that was the case. I’ve been ignored for selection since before the ban. As for the ban, I am hopeful to get it lifted soon.”
Alam said he will not give up and will continue striving to play for Pakistan again.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2013.
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COMMENTS (27)
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Is Fawwad Alam the best player Karachi has? If mediocre players are selected from other cities does it really mean that we get a mediocre player from Karachi just because he is from Karachi? This is cricket not a government office where we should have a quota representing every sect, religion or language. Selection should only be on merit and poor performers like Imran Farhat, Akmals and Shoaib should never be selected irrespective of their previous performances or connections.
I remember seeing Fawwad play in Dubai, and man he made a total joke out of himself. His shots could not even cross the fielding circle let alone the boundary.
Can PTI's right to information law be used here to inquire as to why Fawad Alam is not being selected despite repeatedly performing at the domestic level. People like Imran Farhat and Faisal Iqbal and Kamran Akmal keep getting selected despite pathetic performances year after year but Fawad Alam is being snubbed all the time.
again i repeat Fawad Alam should play...but this thinking of Karachi playrs not being preferred should stop!!! Sarfaraz Ahmed n others who has been in out of the team hv not given outstanding performances... apart from Fawad Alam (who may be excluded due to tactical reasons) i dont c any player who performed outstandingly and was sidelined.... they hv to perform to get regular chances...n Farhats selection i also criticize it is just because he is Ilyas's damad not coz he is from punjab!! n i m also sure Karachi only can not produce as many players as province punjab can do !!! Punjab is the most populous city of pak n point comparing Khi n punjab players....
feel bad for him. I hope everyone gets equal chance in the national team irrespective of their province, after all we all are PAKISTANIS~
What about Faisal Iqbal and Sarfraz Ahmad. They are from Karachi. Do they deserve to be selected?
Fawad Slam deserves a chance for his consistent performance. Hope he will get it soon
@@fawad alam, settling in Lahore or anywhere in Punjab or elsewhere will not get Fawad selected. It is his origins that matter, he is from Karachi and that's why he will be ignored, just like Hasan Raza, Moin-ul-Atiq, Ghulam Ali, Shoaib Mohammad and so many before him.
@pakistani: Do you remember the make up of Pakistani tean during the glorius days when the team comprised of Sadiq,Mushtaq, Javed miandad, Asiif Iqbal,Zaheer Abaas, Wasim Bari And Iqbal Qasim oe some other bowler from Karchi. That comprised seven out of eleven from Karachi. Can you name the number of players from Karachi in Pakistani cricket team these Days???. Remember Afridi is only oncluded because he is a pathan not because he is from karachi
It is hard to understand why he is not in the team. He has one of the highest averages in domestic cricket. I think the team made a mistake by trying to fit him in the T20 team. He is not a slogger. He is more suited for the ODI's and the longer format. At the very least, he should be touring with the team.
Ali Khan
Lets talk about Talent and merit not this age old rivalry Lahore /Karachi. Pakistan is bigger than these two cities. There are talented players in backwaters of Khyber pakhtunkha or smaller towns in Sindh Punjab kashmir and Balochistan. Just because media houses have head offices in Karachi or Lahore one keeps hearing laments after Karachi being victimised. Lets talk about talent no matter what city or ethnicity it belongs too. Both Faisal Iqbal and Imran Farhat were bad selections. Fawad Alam deserves a chance!
Karachi is one city even though its big ! Punjab is a province with cities like Multan Sialkot Faisalabad Rawalpindi and Not just Lahore. Lahore and Karachi dominated teams from 60 or 70's. Now players from other cities are coming up. Ajmal Misbah from Faisalabad. Junaid from Abotabad,.waqar younis from Burewala. Its more Prejudiced to say its Karachi Versus Punjab. How does one explain Faisal Iqbals' selection! If there is Imran Farhat there is Faisal Iqbal too!!
what the hel why are not posting my coment???
such a injustice to other nations in this country ,,, not a single Sindhi or Balochi speaking has been included in so called national team since pakistan started international cricket ... i would rather suggest plz change name of pakistan team as punjab team as it is representing the punjab not whole pakistan .... congrates to Bangladeshi people who got their independence , and representing their people in every field ... !!!!
@ Anonymous yes you are right...Afridi palys because of his brand value and did you forget how he was treated before the start of 2011 worldcup and after the worldcup.....if i'm not wrong he was the joint highest wicket taker along with Zaheer Khan and because of him Pakistan were able to reach the Semi Finals....And for Anwar Ali how many matches he palyed for Pakistan except for one T20 against Zim from the date he was first selected for Team Pakistan where as Asad Ali and Ehsan Adil has been given chanes regurlarly....Only Asad Shafiq got the chance to reprsent Pakistan after some average preformances that to in ODIs but in the champions' trpohy he was dropped after one match but the damad and husband of most famous indian tennis star able to play all three matches....So get you facts right... and for Sarfraz its like musical chairs in one series you gave him chance and in other series he will be dropped and what a way to establish a wicket keeper to send him to the most hostile pitches in world cricket for cementing his place where your all top order fail miserbaly..
It is because of Moin Khan who Will for Karachi players now
For all those who think he is excluded coz he is from Karachi !!! y Afridi, Asad Shafiq, Anwar Ali and Sarfaraz r selected? they are also from Khi !!! sense doesnot always prevail here :s n how can u compare one city's player with a province :S
For those who think if he is not being selected as he is from Khi, than why Afridi, Asad Shafiq n Anwar r also from Khi why are they team? n obviously Khi can not produce as much players as a province can do...senseless point to give justification of Khi players not selected n only punjab players is preffered :s
Brotherly Advice: Go and settle in Lahore. Try playing for Lahore not for Karachi and you Will be in team by end of next domestic season
Is'nt since läst 3 years is exact. It didnt say Past few years
Shud we pls stop the cry of Karachi. There is no such thing like deprivng karachites
“I have been performing consistently since the last three years and have scored in the thousands".
Editor correct me if I am wrong. The sentence has breached English's " point in time and period of time" rule.
I believe the correct sentence should read “I have been performing consistently for the last three years and have scored in the thousands".
"Since" is applicable where an exact time in the past is being mentioned.
“I have been performing consistently since 2010 and have scored in the thousands".
Its sad that Alam has been sidelined. It was former captain Younis Khan that gave him the opening slot and his big break and Alam responded with a century. Its a shame that since Younis Khan was removed (despite winning the 20-20 cup) players he backed also suffered and that includes Alam. But then again Pakistan has wasted talents like Mohammed yousaf after he became highest run getter in a calendar year and the likes of Abdul Razzak , Imran Nazir for mediocre parchi players. I think genuine talent from punjab suffers just as much as genuine talent from karachi at the hand of the mafias and lobbies- otherwise Imran Farhat and Faisal Iqbal would'nt have been re called at the expense of talented players like Haris Sohail or Fawad Alam.
Alam thats not your fault. You're from karachi thats why not in PCB list.
Fawad is a very good player with solid technique, should be given chance in the team on a regular basis. He also has one of the highest averages in the domestic circuit.
Anyone else wondering if his fortunes might have been different had he been from Punjab?