LAHORE: Pakistan's underrated middle-order batsman Fawad Alam said he was undeterred after being dropped from the World Cup squad and had spent the time on the sidelines to achieve peak fitness.
In a press conference outside the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday where the Pakistan team is training for its upcoming series against Bangladesh, Fawad also took a jibe at his critics by saying 'he could hit sixes too for the team if required.'
“Apart from sixes and fours, singles and doubles also play a major role in building an innings,” Alam said.
“My primary job is to build the innings and that’s what I would be doing in the upcoming series,” he added, referring to the role Misbah-ul-Haq played in the ODI side for years.
He said Younis Khan and Misbah had been a 'wall' for Pakistan in the middle order but in their absence the new generation of batsmen had the perfect opportunity to make a name for themselves.
Alam also showed confidence in Pakistan's newly-appointed ODI captain Azhar Ali.
“We will extend our full support to Azhar,” he said, adding: “Bangladesh is not an easy prey anymore, they performed really well throughout the World Cup.”
The 29-year-old Alam, who played his last ODI in October 2014, has been in and out of the national squad despite being a regular performer on the domestic circuit.
Since his international debut in 2007, Alam has featured in 24 Twenty20s, 35 one-day internationals and three Test matches.
He averages 45.14 in ODIs with a ton accompanied by six half-centuries, while his numbers in the five-day game stand at 250 runs at an average of 41.66 which also includes a century on debut.
A prolific performer in all formats, the Karachi-born cricketer averages a staggering 56.90 after 96 first-class appearances with an undefeated 296 being his highest score among 23 centuries. Alam is also rated among the country’s top fielders.
