Maqsood hoping for limited overs’ comeback

Middle-order batsman eyeing call-up for tour of England

KARACHI: Fit-again middle-order batsman Sohaib Maqsood is eager to get back in the national side after being left out of the boot camp for the tour of England.

Maqsood, who just recovered from a wrist injury, has endured a start-stop career after making waves in the international circuit with his quickfire half-century on his ODI debut against South Africa in 2013. Since then, has witnessed a drop in form and following some inconsistent displays, he was axed by the selectors who opted to give younger players a chance.

However, the Multan-based batsman remains undeterred and claims he is feeling ‘at his best’ following some good performances in recent Ramazan tournaments.



“I’ve recovered from the injury which was hampering my strokes, which is why I’m confident that I’ll be able to do well if recalled by the selectors against England,” Maqsood told The Express Tribune. “If the selectors call me in the limited-over matches against England, I’ll be on cloud nine. If not, then I’ll focus on scoring heavily for UBL in the next first-class season.”

He further revealed that the selectors are aware of his potential and has kept him in his future plans. “It’s really encouraging to hear from the selectors that I’m in their future plans because when a player is discarded, his confidence is low and such assurances help a lot,” he added.



The 29-year-old has played 26 ODIs with a decent scoring record of 735 runs at an average of 31.95 with five fifties to his name. His T20I stats, in comparison to his ODI record, have not been up to the mark with 221 runs in 20 matches with an average of 13.81.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2016.

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