Maqbool hoping for international stint

UBL off-spinner current second-highest wicket-taker in domestic cricket.

KARACHI: Off-spinner Atif Maqbool, who has been performing admirably in the domestic circuit, is confident that he can be a success at the international level as well.

Maqbool, who led UBL into the final of the President’s Trophy, has taken 231 wickets in 56 first-class matches at an average of 26.51 with 19 five-wicket hauls to his name and three 10-wicket hauls as well.

The 32-year-old is currently the second highest wicket-taker in the President’s Trophy, with 48 wickets to his name from nine matches. He is expected to increase his tally to end up as the leading wicket-taker.



“I have been consistently performing well in the first-class circuit for the last two or three years and remain hopeful of playing for Pakistan,” Maqbool told The Express Tribune.

“Off-spin is an art itself which I’ve mastered, and England’s Graeme Swann exemplifies in modern day cricket that you can be successful even by bowling genuine off-spin.

“There are different varieties in off-spin such as bowling a sharp break, small break, giving a loop or cutting the flight according to different batsmen.”

Among the off-spinners in Pakistan’s first-class circuit, Maqbool currently has the best strike-rate of 46.7 as compared to his close rivals PIA’s Tahir Khan (54.2) and NBP’s Adnan Rasool (55.8).

If all the top spinners of Pakistan who are currently playing – SNGPL’s Yasir Shah, Wapda’s Zulfiqar Babar, Ajmal, Tahir, Rasool and HBL’s Abdur Rehman – are taken into the equation, then Maqbool is only second to Babar in terms of taking a wicket in first-class cricket.

‘Saqlain is my idol’

The strongly-built cricketer, who seems to possess all the traits for becoming a star in international cricket, revealed that Doosra inventor Saqlain Mushtaq is his idol.

“Saqlain was the one who revitalised the dying art of off-spin and he remains my idol,” said Maqbool.“I hope that the selectors will do justice and select me to play for Pakistan, because I’ve performed regularly both in regional and departmental cricket.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2014.

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