Pakistan batsman Mohammad Ayub Dogar, who has been given a chance to prove his mettle at the international stage for the national team at the age of 32, has said he is in top form. Dogar has played 93 first-class matches and averages 44, but his performances over the last four years have been particularly impressive, scoring over 4000 runs in this period. Many have questioned Dogar’s selection at the age of 32, and are of the opinion that a youngster should have been given a chance instead, but he believes he thoroughly deserves to be in the team. “If it was about age, they should have given me the chance four years ago! However, I did not have the maturity as a player back then, when I was 25 or 26 and it’s the batsmen over the age of 30 who are performing in the modern game,” Dogar said during an interview with PakPassion.net. “Cricket is a game very much played in the mind and there are some things you learn only through experience. It gives a player the opportunity to analyse mistakes, analyse his shots but this experience comes in the passage of time and doing the hard yards and you mature accordingly,” he added. “I feel that I’m at my peak as a batsman. In fact I’m actually getting better which suggests I have a lot more to offer. I am very careful in managing my health and fitness. If you are fit, age doesn’t matter,” he said.
