Pakistan batsman Fawad Alam said he never blamed anyone for his 11-year exile from international cricket and added he was only focusing on honing his skills while playing domestic cricket.
The 35-year-old last played an ODI for Pakistan in 2015 against Bangladesh while hasn’t seen in the T20Is cricket since 2010. He has so far played 38 ODIs and 24 T20Is before being dropped from Pakistan squad.
However, it was Test cricket where Fawad wasn’t given the single opportunity for 10 years having made debut for Pakistan in the longest format of the game in 2009. He was recalled to the Pakistan squad for the home series against Sri Lanka in December 2019 but didn’t get to play.
In July 2020, the left-hander was again recalled for Pakistan's tour to England and eventually got his opportunity in the second Test after a gap of 10 years and 258 days but was dismissed for a duck.
However, the national selectors showed trust in Alam and picked for the New Zealand tour and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, scoring a ton in the first Test after more than 11 years.
He was then named in the Pakistan squad for the ongoing two-Test home series against South Africa and he yet again managed to make the most of his opportunity, scoring a brilliant 109 and shared a century partnership with Faheem Ashraf to help Pakistan take a 158 runs lead in the first innings.
Fawad, who has scored 26 first-class hundreds and 33 fifties at an average of 56.48 during the break, has converted his every fifty-plus score in Test hundred so far in the format.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, Fawad said: “I've never blamed anyone. I have always been saying that fate had this for me. That if it was in my destiny, then nobody could have taken it away from me.”
He further added, “I was only focusing on doing well in whatever opportunities I get to the fullest, even if it's domestic cricket. I don't think about the 10 years going to waste. How can I say all the runs and records made in domestic cricket went in vain?”
Fawad signed off by saying, “I've got enough respect and I want to redeem myself in whatever time I've left in cricket. Maybe I may get more success than what I've earned, so I can't complain and I'm happy about the success.”
(With ANI Inputs)
