Salman Sajid is very excited as potential debut looms

KARACHI: Both Rockies Sajid Khan and Salman Ali Agha on Sunday expressed their excitement over joining the preliminary squad for the first Test against South Africa, which will start on January 26 at the National Stadium here.

Speaking to Virtual Media Pressers, the 27-year-old duo admitted to feeling inferior on the moon after new chief selector Muhammad Waseem added them to the 20-member party – sifting through 16 players in the first Test of two Tests. Will go He had a great season during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Off-spinner Sajid – Joint champion Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tops the first-class bowling chart with 67 wickets for 25.08 in 11 appearances. He said that for the first time in the national squad he was rewarded for his excellent performance and consistency which he maintained throughout the team. Championship

“We don’t have enough words to thank Allah for being kind because it is the dream of every cricketer to one day represent the country at the highest level,” said Sajid, who was born in Peshawar. “I learned about my choices in a hotel room [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa head coach] Abdul Razzaq and some teammates. At the time, the feeling inside was incredible and for a while, I just couldn’t believe I had been included in the Test squad.

He said that the credit for restructuring the domestic cricket setup should go to the PCB and the players are participating in high quality competitions in all forms. This is a big plus point. This season, several matches were televised live and comprehensive media coverage played a big role in highlighting our performances.

“And when the opportunity arises, I have the opportunity to share the dressing room with my teammates, some of whom are already stars of Pakistan cricket. It would be great for me and others. It is a testament to the fact that if one works really hard, then perform regularly, there is every possibility of going somewhere.

Sajid, whose father was a soldier who served in the Pakistan Army and died in 2003, revealed that he was a big fan of Australia’s Nathan Lyon, currently the world’s best off-spin bowler. Has been declared.

“After the second, the ICC declared it illegal and [ex-Pakistan off-spinner] Saeed Ajmal imposed a long ban for many years to exploit this art, I never feared losing heart and continue to practice conservative bowling. That’s why I’m jealous of Nathan Lyon. He doesn’t speak second and yet he is very successful [Lyon is closing in on 400 Test wickets]Sajid, who has taken 141 wickets in 35 matches since making his first-class debut in October 2016.

“I have no problem because other routes like speed and flight are available to take wickets,” he said. And although I like Leon, my role models are our heroes Thaqleen Mushtaq and Mohammad Hafeez, while I followed them. [England’s] Graeme Swann. ”

Meanwhile, Salman said for 10 minutes that he could not understand what was happening when he was selected in the Pakistani squad on Friday afternoon.

“I was watching the Australia India Test on my mobile at the Team Hotel when Adnan Akmal [the former Test wicket-keeper] “Salman, you are part of the Test squad,” he blurted out. I thought I was dreaming during the day because my whole body was sobbing for 10 minutes, because the news came like a big shock, “Salman, who also made it clear to the media that instead of Agha Salman, The full name of is Salman Ali Agha which has been mistakenly mentioned for many people

“I told Adnan that he would make fun of me, but when I saw the team reading on TV, I regained consciousness. As Sajid says, one only tells how one feels if the dream is realized.

Salman – Quaid-e-Azam is third on the trophy batting chart this season with 941 runs at 58.81 in 10 matches.

“Basically, lack of fitness was an obstacle in the beginning of my career,” said Salman, who was born in Lahore and entered first-class cricket in February 2013. “But then I worked hard to get high fitness and started paying attention to this flaw because I knew I wouldn’t push for places at any level of the game.

“I trained as hard as I could to stay fit as much as possible and this time I always realized that as long as I take care of myself while maintaining the best level of fitness, it will be a successful season Will be.”

And pointing to Sajid, Salman also considers Hafeez as his role model because like the experienced Pakistan all-rounder, he also bowls off-spinners, but only occasionally.

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