KARACHI: Pakistan's most successful cricketer in 2010-2011 season and fast emerging all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez revealed that he went through a very hard three years before staging a successful comeback into the national team.
“After my ouster from 2007 World Cup team and until the 2010 England tour, I kept my motivation alive and worked really hard on my game technically and physically and forced my way back into the team,” Hafeez told APP.
“Believe you me it was the most difficult time of my life as cricketer and now I feel that hard work never goes in vain and I was rewarded by the Almighty for my devotion,” the 30-year-old Sargodha-born, opener said.
“My family, friends and well-wishers lent great support during the period of my ouster from the team.”
“Like life, cricket is very hard and demanding game and now my objective is to keep up momentum and consistency extending in all areas of the game,” he said, giving a special mention to former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail and coach Shahid Aslam for their encouragement and assistance.
Hafeez’s consistency in 2011 so far has propelled im up in the ICC Rankings and also furthered his credentials as a reliable off-spinner.
“It’s a great honor for me that I have been the most successful player in the year 2011 and being the best batsman and third in ICC Ratings from Pakistan during the year,” he said.
“My target is to finish among the top 10 batsman of the world by the end of the year,” Hafeez, who has scored 895 runs in 17 tests with two centuries and taken 14 wickets with his off-breaks, stated.
“I always keep working on my game and set targets in every series. But I feel that I have improved in all departments.”
“My maiden hundred in ODIs against New Zealand at Christchurch was great boost for me. I had been scoring 70s and 80s but was unable to convert them into a hundred,” he recalled.
“I broke the jinx and since then I have scored two hundreds in tests and as many in ODIs and I am looking for many more on the tour of Zimbabwe,” Hafeez, who made his Test debut against Bangladesh in 2003, observed.
Hafeez credited his success a bowler to former ODI skipper Shahid Afridi .
“Afridi used me in pressure situations and I lived to expectations of the team,” he said.
Commenting on his shot in the semifinals of 2011 World Cup against India in Mohali, he regretted that it brought the downfall of the team.
“…90 percent I am successful on these kinds of innovative strokes but that day it didn't work,” he recalled.
“It was a great learning experience in this year's World Cup and in difficult Sri Lankan conditions but I did deliver,” he remarked.
Responding to a question about being rated future Pakistan captain, Hafeez said his goal was do his best for the country and if the opportunity came it will be an honour for him.