Zahid Mehmood plays for Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan Super League.
Leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood recently talked fondly about dismissing Pakistan captain Babar Azam in domestic cricket. The leggie talked about the range of Babar which makes him a tough batsman to bowl to.
Mehmood, in an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, said it was a pleasure to bowl against Babar. He also added that bowling to a batsman like him makes one realize their capability as a bowler.
"I got the chance to bowl at Babar twice and I bowled really well against him. I even dismissed him four years ago in a Ramazan cricket tournament. It is always a pleasure bowling to him. Whenever you bowl against a good batsman, you find out where you stand as a bowler," Mehmood said.
"He is a star and there is a clear difference between Babar and other batsmen. It is not easy to bowl against him because he can play any shot at any time," he added.
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Mehmood is waiting to bowl at two world-class batters, Australia's Steve Smith and India captain Virat Kohli. "I admire Steve Smith and Virat Kohli as batsmen and my wish is to bowl to them. Whenever I will get the opportunity to bowl [to Virat Kohli], I will give my 100 percent," he said.
The Southern Punjab bowler has learned the tricks of leg-spin by watching bowling videos of international spin sensations, Imran Tahir and Rashid Khan.
"In recent times, I have been following Imran Tahir and Rashid Khan’s progress and I try to learn from watching their bowling videos. I have also worked with Mushtaq Ahmed, which has improved my skill set," he said.
The 32-year-old revealed former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi also helped him in the early phase of his career. "Five years ago, I met Shahid Afridi at Customs Academy and he shared few tips with me regarding leg-spin. I learnt bowling drifters from him, so he guided me really well," he said.
Mehmood shared his favorite performance where he picked up 10 wickets in the match. "The most memorable performance of my career came against Northern this season when I picked 10 wickets in the match," he said.
(With Cricket Pakistan Inputs)