Faisal eyes selection for New Zealand ODIs and World Cup

Faisal Iqbal believes he has enough experience and skill to secure his spot in the squad for the New Zealand tour.

KARACHI: After leading the Pakistan ‘A’ team in the Caribbean, Faisal Iqbal said that he has gained valuable experience that will help his chances of securing a berth in the senior team. The middle-order batsman was confident of getting a call-up for the One-Day International (ODI) series in New Zealand and the World Cup next year.

Iqbal, who last played an ODI in December 2006 against the West Indies in Multan, led the ‘A’ team that won the one-day matches 2-0, drew the unofficial Test series besides losing both T20s against West Indies ‘A’.

“It was overall a good tour for me as I gained a lot of confidence both as a captain and batsman,” Iqbal, who returned this week, told The Express Tribune.

“I’m hoping for a chance in the ODI team as I’ve been performing well both at domestic and international level,” said the 28-year-old, who played a match-winning 44-ball 58 against West Indies ‘A’ in the one-day series.

Iqbal, who has played 18 ODIs and 26 Tests for Pakistan since making his debut in 2000, was overlooked for the Test and Twenty20 squad for the New Zealand tour but remained optimistic of selection for the ODI series, the announcement of which was delayed.

The right-hander said that he will play in the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy to impress the selectors. “I will perform in the Quaid Trophy to show my worth. I’m confident that I can be a good addition to the Pakistan batting line-up.”

He also said that he has been given less chances in the national team compared to other players on the domestic circuit.

“I’ve been playing domestic cricket since a decade but I’ve not been given enough chances unlike other players,” said Iqbal.

The Karachi-born player also dismissed the notion that he was only suited to the longer format of the game, saying that he has proved it wrong on a number of occasions.

“This is a wrong impression. I want to remove the Test tag on me because I can perform in all formats of the game which I have proved on many occasions.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2010.