Sahibzada Farhan ‘ready’ to don Pakistan green

Islamabad United opener believes he is not far from representing Men in Green at global stage

Islamabad United opening batsman Sahibzada Farhan, who played an important role in guiding the Misbahul Haq-led unit to their second Pakistan Super League (PSL) title earlier this year, believes that he is ready for international cricket.

While talking to PakPassion, Farhan revealed why he believes he is ready to represent the Men in Green at the global stage and why being overlooked for the two-T20I series against Scotland has not left him disappointed.

“I feel that I am ready for international cricket and playing in the PSL has a lot to do with that,” said Farhan. “The reason is simply; in the PSL, you are batting against some of the best bowlers in the world and because the PSL is one of the world’s top T20 leagues, if one can play in this tournament and learn from it, then there is no doubt that one can easily play at the international level as well.”

But the 22-year-old refuses to be bogged down by his non-selection. “I wasn't disappointed at my exclusion from the Pakistan squad for the recent series against Scotland,” he said. “I understand that there are some things which are not in one’s control and one should not take such things to heart. I believe in my abilities and know that when the time is right, I will get my chance to play for Pakistan.”

Talking about working with the legendary Waqar Younis and former Australian batsman Dean Jones during his time with United, Farhan said that he was very thankful to be given the opportunity to learn a lot from two of the greats of the game.

“I had a great experience working with Jones as he really appreciated my skills as a batsman and also gave me a lot of useful tips during practice which, I am sure, will come in handy in the future,” he said. “He was very happy with my attitude as well. However, I would like to especially mention Waqar who worked very hard with our Islamabad United squad. He really did put in a lot of effort in bowling and batting with all the youngsters for which we were all very thankful.”

Farhan, who made his debut in T20 cricket back in 2013, also discussed the impact of playing with and against top quality players in the PSL, not only personally but for Pakistan cricket in general.

“To play alongside and against some of the best players in T20 cricket was a really good experience and gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “I got to face a top-quality bowler like Mohammad Amir and also I had never played against one of the biggest stars of our country — Shahid Afridi — whom I got to face as well. Within my squad, we had some top-class international players like Samit Patel and Luke Ronchi, who never made us feel that we were junior to them in any aspect. They gave all of us useful tips which I am sure will help in the future.”

Talking about his goals in the upcoming domestic season, Farhan said: “I just want to top the charts as a batsman. And not only for this season and not only in domestic cricket, I just want to be able to give my best in whichever tournament I play in, whether that be the PSL, domestic cricket or international cricket. I am working hard to achieve that and hopefully that will show in my performances.”