ISLAMABAD: Test opener Ahmed Shehzad said he was not impressed with the batting of Indian batsman Virat Kohli and had always tried to improve his own batting by overcoming his shortcomings.

“Neither do I follow any other international cricketer nor like to be compared with anyone,” Shehzad said while talking to a TV channel, adding that he had always focused on his own performance by trying to improve the same.

The opener said he batted with a positive frame of mind and could definitely improve his strike rate.

“When I came from the U-19 I had a lot of flair but as you play more and understand cricket you need to suppress the high-risk game for the betterment of the team,” he maintained.

Shehzad said he could still play a lot of cricket and wanted to earn a special place in the national cricket.

“Though I want to represent Pakistan in all the three formats of the game, my dream is to play 100 Tests for Pakistan,” said the talented opener while responding to a question.

He further said that one could not improve his performance unless he started enjoying playing cricket.

Also, the dashing batsman lauded T20 skipper Shahid Afridi, saying that Afridi had always treated him as a brother and he had learned a lot from ‘Lala,’ adding that he himself had always tried to help out youngsters in their times of struggle.

Shehzad also commended the services of Test batsman and former captain Younis Khan, saying he was not only a great player but a great human being too.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2015

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