Gaji
Hard-hitting batsman, Yusuf Pathan, crushed no words when he said there is more to his batting than just hitting big shots.
In a chat with TOI, Pathan said: "At present, I'm focusing on receiving back in the team and for that I have to score time and again. I am working very hard. Ever since I started playing the game, I have dreamt of on behalf of the country. It's an honor to play for India. If I keep on working hard nothing is not possible."
He added: optimistically, I will win more matches for my country. Of late, I have been playing a lot of Twenty20 cricket so it's good to play in the Challenger Trophy where I have done well in the past. I expect to do well this time, too," Yusuf will play for India Red.
Rejecting the experts' belief that he is not reliable, Yusuf maintain that he has always played for Team India's cause.
"We have a very gifted batting line-up. More often than not, one of the top-order batsmen scores big. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh love to bat extended. When I go in to bat, I normally get five to eight overs in which I have to score as many runs as likely. You can't do that without taking risks.
"Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not. It can go either way. But I always try to give it my best shot. I won't be making hundreds every day, but if my quick 30s or 40s can make a difference, I will be a happy man," he said.
Figures back Yusuf's claim. In fact, whenever he has got an chance to bat for a longer period, he has made big a score. He hates being labeled as a Twenty20 or one-day player.
"I can play at any place. If the team administration wants me to bat up the order, I am ready for it. Whenever I spent time in the middle, I have made it count. Last year, I scored a match-winning hundred against New Zealand and then scored another hundred next to South Africa. Besides, I have also scored big hundreds in Ranji and Duleep Trophy over the years.
"I take pleasure in batting for long periods. The T20 craze has started only now, but I have been playing first-class cricket for a decade. I would also like to play Test matches. It's unfair to label me as one-day specialist," he said.
Yusuf also disagree that he is a one-dimensional player: "There is more to my batting than just hitting. You can't do well at the international level if you have limited stroke. I can play all-round the wicket. If you analyze my hundreds, you will see I have scored runs on both sides of the wicket. I like to play forcefully and that's the way I have played cricket all my life and I will carry on doing so."
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