Discarded Pakistani all-rounder, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, has not given up on his international career and feels that he can still serve the country at the highest stage of the game for another two years. The 34-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler made his way to international cricket in 2003 and has played nine Tests, 74 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and four T20s for Pakistan. The cricketer from Sheikhupura has taken 110 wickets in ODI cricket at an average of 29.28 runs per scalp, which is quite reasonable.
The veteran cricketer has been a prolific performer in the domestic cricket of Pakistan as well as in English County cricket. However, Naved has been inconsistent at the international level. He is a ‘hot or cold’ kind of a bowler who can be a true match-winner one day and can be very ordinary on another occasion.
The all-rounder has been out of international cricket since the tour of Australia in 2009-10. The national selectors announced three different squads for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka earlier this month and Naved was ignored once again.
The medium-fast bowler was expecting a national call-up and is disappointed with the continuous snubbing by the management in Pakistan.
The all-rounder said, “I was expecting to be in the mix on the tour but was distraught to find out that it wasn’t the case. But despite the repeated overlooking, I’m in no mood of throwing in the towel because I can still play at the top level for at least two years and will work hard to play for Pakistan again.”
Naved was always considered a cricketer more suitable for the shorter version of the sport and he himself realizes now that he has no future in Test cricket. However, Naved still sees himself as a utility player in limited-overs cricket. The all-rounder is eyeing the ICC World T20 2012 and hopes that the selectors will keep him in mind for the mega event.
“As far as Test cricket goes, my career is finished and I don’t see myself playing Tests for Pakistan again. But I still have the required fitness to excel in Twenty20s and One-Day Internationals,” he added.
