LAHORE - Young and talented batsman Ahsan Ali has vowed that he wants to be one of the best openers of Pakistan and help the national team register crucial victories.
Talking to the reporters here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday, Ahsan said: “My favourite batsman is Rohit Sharma, who is one of the best openers in the world. I have a game plan and I will try to show it to the world and become one of Pakistan's best openers. I will try to execute my plan and help my team win and play for the country as much as possible.
“I am thankful to Allah for giving me such a big opportunity. Playing for Pakistan is every cricketer's dream and with my selection in the national T20 team against Bangladesh, my dream has come true. There isn't any pressure on me as I have played PSL as well and I have handled the pressure. When I get a chance, I will try to do well and make a permanent spot in the team for myself.”
Revealing his training and hard work, which helped him get place in the national T20 squad, the opening batsman said: “I didn't sleep much at night as I kept waiting as we had a practice session in the morning. When I heard that the team would be announced at 2:30pm so I was sitting in front of the TV at 1:30pm and was wishing time would go past quickly, but it wasn't happening. When the team was announced, I was so excited and I can't express how I felt.”
Praising the champion batsman and captain of T20 team, Ahsan said: “Skipper Babar Azam is a big player and he is the world number one batsman. It will be a proud moment for me to open the batting with Babar Azam on my debut and I will get to learn a lot from him because he has wide experience and knowledge, which will prove very helpful for the youngsters like me.
“I will try to play according to the pitch and conditions. I will try to play according to the tactics and plan according to what is required. I will play sensible and hit where it is required. I will do that and I won't just go out there and try to smash directly. I will try to play according to the plan, which always help in giving out the best.”
When asked about his target(s), the opening batsman said: “Right now my target is to give out the best performance on my debut as it is the only thing which can help in getting the permanent place in the national team. I will try to be consistent performer and try to play key role in helping the team score crucial victories. My main target is to represent my beloved country in the World Cup.
To a query about his fitness, he said: “I have worked hard on my fitness and I have been working at the NCA for the past 31 days and Misbah bhai and the trainer have worked a lot with me. I have seen quite a lot of improvement in my fitness and I have passed the fitness tests as well.”
Replying to another query, Ahsan said: “Every cricketer wishes to play in front of his home crowd as it's a matter of honour to make your debut at home. I am also very excited to make my debut at home ground and want to play a memorable innings in front of home crowd. I also want to tell the world especially all the cricket playing nations that Pakistan is a very safe country and that they should all come here to play cricket and enjoy our love, respect and hospitality.”
To a query regarding Bangladesh cricket team, he said: “Bangladesh's team is quite tough as they have improved a lot and have the likes of Mahmudullah, who is one of the brilliant batsmen. They have improved in all aspects and they are a world-class team, so it will be a tough competition. I would like to request fans to come and support us.”