Latest update February 22nd, 2019 8:51 PM
LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team’s speedster, Hasan Ali, has said that he has special passion to bowl against India in the opening match of Asia Cup, and the month of September has special significance for him as the nation celebrates its Defence day on September 6.
“Whenever I bowl against India, I bowl with a unmatched passion and now we will be playing against India on September 19 and it is going to add to my passion as on Defence day our martyrs laid their lives while safeguarding our country,” he told the media after a training session of the team for the buildup of Asia Cup at Gaddafi Stadium.
He said he was not only aiming to perform against India to a high level rather he is focusing to come up with good performance against every rival in the Cup.
“I will be doing my best to play my due role in my team’s success in the match against India against whom we have the edge as we have already beaten it in our last outing,” he added.
The pace bowler paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of Defence day saying “they will always be remembered for sacrificing their lives for the homeland.”
To a question, he said, definitely the Indian side will be feeling the absence of master blaster batsman, Virat Kholi who is capable enough to lift the team out of crisis and steer it to success and Pakistan will be taking advantage of his absence.
“He is great player, as a young bowler I always aim to get his wicket but unfortunately he is not playing in the Cup and I look forward to claim him wicket whenever Pak plays against India in future,” he added.
Hasan was very candid when asked that he has beaten Virat Kholi in the fitness level by setting a new benchmark by obtaining 20 marks.
“I am doing my best to maintain a good fitness level as I am playing all three formats of the game and I am laying special emphasis to take my fitness level to a high level during the ongoing training camp,” he said adding “It is very imperative to set a new mark of fitness level to live up to the expectations in the modern day competitive cricket.”
The speedster was of the view that he enjoys bowling in pressure and he is confident that Pak team will put up a decent show in the Cup to attain desired results in the event.
Answering a question, he said selectors have included six pace bowlers in the team which does not have the services of a spinner. “I will be concentrating on exhibiting quality bowling in the Cup and it is not my concern that the team has six or seven or how many pace bowlers as selection committee and the team management take such decisions according to the need of the team.”
He rejected a questioner that he wanted to quit test cricket. “Why should I be thinking that, as I have earned the status of test cricketer and I am eager to play more test matches to bring improvement in my bowling.”
He termed pace bowler, Muhammad Amir, a world class bowler with whom he has good understanding . “I enjoy bowling with Amir and other pace bowlers, Usman Shinwari and Junaid Khan.”
The 2018 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference is scheduled for April 8 to 11 in Boao, Hainan Province. The forum will be themed "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity."
— The Daily Mail - People's Daily