Aslam confident he can score big soon
‘It is not that I’m getting nervous or there is any pressure after getting starts’
Pakistan opener Sami Aslam is among those batsmen who has got the taste of cut-throat competition quite early in his career.
The 21-year-old, had played nine Test for Pakistan in 2016 and scored 618 runs including six fifties before he was dropped after the Boxing Day Test in Australia.
He missed the West Indies series earlier in the year but having got the call against Sri Lanka, he has struck another 50 in the first innings.
Aslam’s partnership of 114 runs with Shan Masood was appreciable but yet again he had squandered an opportunity to score big after a solid start. Aslam, however, is not perturbed and feels that his best is just round the corner.
“It is not that I’m getting nervous or there is any pressure after getting starts. I have more centuries in domestic cricket than fifties. In U-19, I have the record for most centuries in the world. I’m used to being in such situations where I have gone on to score big. Today, I got out because the ball stayed low and it was mistake on my part as well,” said Aslam, who was out in the 90s twice – against West Indies and New Zealand.
“I was out run out when I was nearing century against
Sri Lanka Pakistan
(1st innings) 419 (1st innings) Shan Masood b Herath 59 Sami Aslam lbw b D. Perera 51 Azhar Ali not out 74 Asad Shafiq c Thirimanne b Herath 39 Babar Azam c Dickwella b Pradeep 28 (b-4 lb-9 nb-2) 15 (for 4 wickets, 112.4 overs) 266 1-114 S. Aslam,2-116 S. Masood,3-195 A. Shafiq,4-266 B. Azam
Extras Total Fall of wickets:
To bat:
H. Sohail, S. Ahmad, M. Amir, Y. Shah, M. Abbas, H. Ali
Bowling
Suranga Lakmal 15 - 3 - 30 - 0(nb-1) Nuwan Pradeep 16.4 - 1 - 44 - 1 Dilruwan Perera 27 - 7 - 58 - 1(nb-1) Lakshan Sandakan 26 - 6 - 68 - 0 Rangana Herath 25 - 6 - 47 - 2 Dimuth Karunaratne 3 - 1 - 6 - 0 Ian Gould, Nigel Llong; Richard Kettleborough
Andy Pycroft.
Umpires: TV umpire: Match referee:
Windies and against New Zealand I got out because I have trying to hit to go for a win. I wasn’t nervous or anything so, Inshallah very soon you will see me score a century,” said Aslam, adding that he was disappointed after being dropped after the Melbourne Test following scores of 22, 15, 9 and 2 in four innings.
“In 2016, I think I played nine Test matches and scored 600 plus runs. It was good performance and tours were also tough. Yes, you feel a bit hurt when you are dropped but I took it positively. I took it in my stride and I worked really hard after that and my fitness also improved,” said Aslam adding that he went back to domestic cricket and made the most of the time he has stayed out.