Usman Salahuddin: Aiming for a strong comeback
Usman Salahuddin looks to make a return to national team.
KARACHI:
Batsman Usman Salahuddin, who has been a prolific run-scorer this season, said that he was not discouraged after being left out of the team and is looking to make an impressive return to the side.
He was given two opportunities in the One-Day International (ODI) series during Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies but failed to impress selectors with a tally of just 13 runs.
However, Usman showed scintillating form this season, bagging two best batsman awards in the National One-day Cup Division-II and the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.
He also finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup, scoring 426 runs.
“I took the axe as a challenge,” Usman, who has scored 1622 runs this season, told The Express Tribune. “I needed to overcome my weaknesses and the National Cricket Academy became my second home.
“I started spending nearly six hours there to work on my batting. Coaches Mansoor Rana and Ali Zia really helped me as well.”
The 21-year-old from Lahore has scored 2,961 runs in 38 first-class matches with a healthy average of 52.87 with 12 centuries and 14 fifties to his name. With seasoned-batsmen Misbahul Haq and Younus Khan now in the twilight of their careers and a healthy competition in the team, Usman may still have to wait for his turn.
“I don’t want to lose out in the race for the middle-order slot. My time will come and I’ll make sure that I remain in the team with consistent performances.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2012.
Batsman Usman Salahuddin, who has been a prolific run-scorer this season, said that he was not discouraged after being left out of the team and is looking to make an impressive return to the side.
He was given two opportunities in the One-Day International (ODI) series during Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies but failed to impress selectors with a tally of just 13 runs.
However, Usman showed scintillating form this season, bagging two best batsman awards in the National One-day Cup Division-II and the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.
He also finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup, scoring 426 runs.
“I took the axe as a challenge,” Usman, who has scored 1622 runs this season, told The Express Tribune. “I needed to overcome my weaknesses and the National Cricket Academy became my second home.
“I started spending nearly six hours there to work on my batting. Coaches Mansoor Rana and Ali Zia really helped me as well.”
The 21-year-old from Lahore has scored 2,961 runs in 38 first-class matches with a healthy average of 52.87 with 12 centuries and 14 fifties to his name. With seasoned-batsmen Misbahul Haq and Younus Khan now in the twilight of their careers and a healthy competition in the team, Usman may still have to wait for his turn.
“I don’t want to lose out in the race for the middle-order slot. My time will come and I’ll make sure that I remain in the team with consistent performances.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2012.