Karachi - Opening batsman Sharjeel Khan is keen to put up good performances for Pakistan A in their ongoing tour of England in order to stake a claim for a Test berth.

Khan, who made his for Pakistan in December 2013, has so far played 11 One-Day Internationals and as many Twenty20 Internationals, hitting a fifty in each format. However, Khan has failed to cement his place in the Pakistan side and he wants to use the Pakistan A tour as an opportunity to impress the selectors.

“It’s an excellent opportunity for all the players selected for this tour and a really good chance to learn how to play in these conditions and improve the technical aspects of our cricket,” Khan told PakPassion.net.

“We have three 4-day and five One-Day games and the players will really need to concentrate and put in some good performances. Simply put, if you perform well on this type of tour then you can definitely break into the senior team,” he said.

“Obviously, the initial target is for the A team to win the matches we have scheduled here and obviously as one of the more senior players here I want to help the youngsters and ensure they also learn as much as they can from this experience. “This will only benefit Pakistan cricket in the long run,” he added.

In first-class cricket, Khan has played 71 games and has scored 4542 runs at an average of 37.53 while he has 2473 runs from 67 List A games. Citing his first-class record, Khan said that his target was to establish himself as a key member of the Pakistan Test side. “Yes, I do. I have a good First-Class record, averaging over 37 from 71 matches with eleven centuries and nineteen fifties.

“So it’s definitely one of my targets to become a Test player for Pakistan but before that I want to focus on the present and perform well in these 4-day matches for Pakistan A. The main thing is for me to serve my country in whatever way possible and in any format. Ultimately it’s all about performance and doing the best for my country,” he said.

In his career, Sharjeel has carved a name for himself as a batsman, who does not shy away from playing his shots. Though the 26-year-old believes that he needs to slightly tweak his batting in order to flourish in Test cricket, he asserted that he will always bat positively. “Obviously in Twenty20s and One-Days it is necessary to play your shots as soon as you get in and without too much regard for the opposition bowling or field settings.

“In 4-day games you have more attacking fields so you have to be a bit more careful and take your time but it’s important that I stay true to myself and remain positive. If the ball is there to be hit and in my zone then I will go for it, but if it’s a good ball I will show it the appropriate respect,” he added.

In their ongoing tour of England, Pakistan A are scheduled to play matches against Sri Lanka A, Glamorgan and England Lions. In their first match on the tour, Pakistan A faced off against Yorkshire but the four-day game ended in a draw as no play was possible on the final day due to rain.