Gul ready to take flight

Pacer wants to once again reach the heights he did during his heyday

KARACHI:

Fit again fast-bowler Umar Gul is keen to have the same impact on the tour of New Zealand that he once had for Pakistan before a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The right-arm pacer has been drafted in for the T20I series by the selectors but was not included in the ODI line-up to ensure he slowly gets into the groove of international cricket.



Before joining the side, Gul had a good season for his department HBL in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and remained injury-free throughout. He also impressed fellow players and the team management with his athleticism and fitness during the physical conditioning camp before the team’s departure to New Zealand.

“It’s been a long time [since I last played]. I have had to wait on the sidelines. Now that I’m fully fit, I want to have the same impact for Pakistan,” Gul told The Express Tribune. “It’s never nice to be nursing injuries while your team is playing in important assignments.”



The experienced paceman knew he needed to get back to his best physically before thinking of making a return. “For me it was important to get that feeling of being a 100% fit because the last time I came back, I got injured again quickly,” he said. “But this time around, I have played almost a full season so the confidence is back mentally, and my body and head are working in one direction.”



The 31-year-old has played 47 Tests for Pakistan with 163 wickets to his name, while he has captured 173 scalps in 126 ODIs.

But it is in the T20I format that Gul is rated as one of the most lethal proponents of fast-bowling, especially in the death overs when his yorkers prove both economical and wicket-taking.

In 58 T20Is, Gul has claimed 83 wickets at an average of 16.71, while his 5-6 against New Zealand in 2009 and against South Africa in 2013 remain the best bowling figures by a fast-bowler in the format.

“Before my career was hampered by injury, I was one of the leading bowlers in limited overs cricket, especially in the T20I format,” said Gul. “I want to regain that reputation through my performance.”



The leading wicket-taker of the 2009 World T20 that Pakistan won, Gul now has his sights set on the upcoming edition in India.

“I’ve set high hopes for myself as I want to provide a cutting edge to our bowling with the World T20 around the corner,” he said. “Hopefully, I will be able to win back the confidence of fans and fellow players alike in the T20 series against New Zealand. There is a lot of cricket coming up with the Pakistan Super League, the Asia Cup and the World T20 and I will only get better with more matches under my belt.”

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.