Gul has taken four wickets in three matches so far in the ongoing Faysal Bank Departmental T20 Cup. PHOTO: AFP
His return after a long seven-month absence has yielded decent results as he claimed five wickets in his four outings in the President’s One-day Cup, while four wickets from three Twenty20 matches so far also make up a fair tally.
“The Departmental T20 event is important for me because I want to make a strong impression on the selectors after a long hiatus,” a confident Gul told The Express Tribune.
“Every player who is knocking on the team’s door or aiming for a comeback knows that the selectors will be monitoring their performance in this televised event closely so there couldn’t be a better opportunity for me to win back their approval.”
The 29-year-old is currently the most senior fast-bowler for Pakistan with the experience of 47 Tests, 116 One-Day Internationals and 52 Twenty20s under his belt. According to him, his main aim is to cement his place in the Pakistan fold with the ICC Twenty20 World Cup getting closer.
“We’ve got a series coming up against Sri Lanka; more importantly, the Twenty20 World Cup is around the corner. I want to win back my place in the team in time so that I’m in the right frame of mind before the mega-event.”
‘I went through testing times’
He further revealed that he had to go through tough times during his rehabilitation period as it was difficult for him to spend time away from cricket.
“Those were testing times for me as major surgeries can shake any athlete’s confidence,” said Gul. “But my family and friends stood by me which eased my recuperation. Sometimes, you find yourself wondering if you can make a fully recovery; that is where the people around you play an important role.”
Gul, who has proven himself as one of the best Twenty20 bowlers, added that the break allowed him to come back feeling rejuvenated and a stronger athlete.
“The break for international cricket also gave me a chance to spend time with my family as the last four years had been spent playing away from home. The interval has refreshed me besides giving me time to work on my fitness and technical issues.”
He also praised National Cricket Academy trainer Yasir Malik for helping him gradually run full strides again at a time when could only manage a limp.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2013.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1734883670-0/Copy-of-Untitled-(68)1734883670-0-270x192.webp "injury sidelines stokes as england announce icc champions trophy squad")
1734873170-0/Copy-of-Untitled-(65)1734873170-0-270x192.webp "pak vs sa play resumes after rain in third odi overs reduced to 47 a side")
1734875767-0/Copy-of-Untitled-(66)1734875767-0-270x192.webp "abdullah shafique s third duck helps him share record with tendulkar ponting")
1734867283-0/Untitled-design-(61)1734867283-0-270x192.webp "mohsin naqvi meets sheikh al nahyan to finalise neutral venue for champions trophy")
What is our wrong with our selectors? Why does Gul need to 'prove' anything to be selected for the national team? The fact is that Gul has been our key bowler for the last few years. Yes he is not the best in the world, but in relative terms he holds the same place in our team that someone like Morkel/Steyn holds in SA or Anderson/Broad holds in England. Wouldn't each of these players be an automatic selection when coming back from injury? We should play him across formats in the SL series. If he can't make an impact then send him back to the domestic circuit. Our fast bowling options are limited in this series anyway. We will solely be relying on Junaid Khan across formats, and he is the next likely candidate to get injured because of this burn out. What is wrong with our selectors? They seem to to be the problem to every solution.