Azhar wants his maiden ton in WI

Batsman itching to reach the elusive milestone on the tour.

LAHORE:

Pakistan’s Test batsman Azhar Ali has labelled the series against West Indies a great opportunity to improve his batting ability and to finally register his maiden ton that has been evading him since his debut last July.

The 26-year-old was one of the finds of the ill-fated tour of England last year and his resistance and perseverance, especially against the new ball, was a major factor behind his establishment as a permanent member of the Test squad. With six half-centuries in ten Tests, Azhar is itching to score his first hundred.

“I see the tour as a very important one for me to improve on my ability,” Azhar told The Express Tribune. “I’m not underestimating the opposition but am desperate to score a hundred.

“Although my Test career kicked off last year, it’ll only kick-start after I score my first ton. I believe patience is the key. I’ve played half my innings in challenging situations.”

Meanwhile, Azhar rejected the notion that he was just a Test batsman.

“Since I’ve only been given the opportunity in Test cricket, the way I play is the way it should be played. Test cricket is all about testing your overall ability in the game. You need to be technically sound and must have a temperament to stay in the middle and that’s how I’ve been very successful.”

Azhar averages 47 in List-A cricket, higher than his first-class average of 38 and has not given up the hope of representing Pakistan in limited-overs cricket as well.

“As far as the limited-over cricket is concerned, I’m equally useful in that format as well. I’ve worked very hard on shot selections.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2011.