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LAHORE: Paceman Usman Khan Shinwari on Thursday expressed a burning desire to play in all three formats, while saying he had no idea why his fellow left-armers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz are disinterested in four-day cricket.
“It would be better to ask this question to Amir and Wahab for not playing the longer version matches but as far as I’m concerned there is a burning desire to play for Pakistan all three formats,” Shinwari said while talking to reporters during the national training camp, which has been set up at the Gaddafi Stadium for the upcoming ODI and T20 series against Sri Lanka.
While Amir has called time on his Test career, Wahab has opted against participating in premier first-class Quaid-i-Azam Trophy competition.
Shinwari, the 25-year-old from Khyber Agency, admitted like anyone else he was deeply disappointed when he was overlooked for the 2019 World Cup by the former national selection committee headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq after playing three of the five ODIs against Australia in the UAE last March.
And although Shinwari — who has taken 28 wickets in 15 One-day Internationals at impressive average of 19.32 — captured five wickets against Aaron Finch’s side including four for 49 in the last one-dayer, the chief selector decided to recall Wahab Riaz for the World Cup after ignoring him for nearly two years.
Shinwari, who attracted the cricketing experts when he took 5-34 in only his second ODI against Sri Lanka in Sharjah, expressed the hope that with the induction of legendary Waqar Younis as the bowling coach, the bowlers would further hone their skills.
He said Waqar had vast experience as a bowler and coach and he added last bowling coach Azhar Mahmood had the experience in T20 cricket as he had played in many leagues.
The left-armer said he had played with the current head coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq and learnt a lot from the former Pakistan captain and hoped to learn further under his charge.
Commenting on the upcoming Sri Lanka matches, Shinwari — who also has 13 victims in Twenty Internationals at 29.30 — remarked that playing in front in front of home fans would definitely inspire the Pakistan side. And if selected, he would try to claim a rich haul of wickets.
Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2019
