Hailing from the same town which has produced one of the best fast bowlers of our times in Waqar Younis and provided us the talent of Mohammad Zahid and Mohammad Irfan, Zia-ul-Haq at the age of 20 is a young and promising left-arm pacer from Vehari. After an excellent stint at the U19 level Zia is currently representing NBP in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (Gold) but overall in his career so far, he has taken 93 wickets in 27 First-Class games with 9/81 as his best performance against WAPDA.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Zia-ul-Haq talks about his domestic performances, his inspirations, the backing from established players at NBP, about his ambitions of doing his hometown proud and Pakistan's chances at the 2015 World Cup.

By Farid Khan (16th December, 2014)

Pakpassion.Net : Tell us about your performance in this domestic season so far. Are you satisfied with them?

Zia-ul-Haq : The season started off well but in the last few matches, the form seems to have dipped a bit. I have not been able to take many wickets in them. So far, I have 35 wickets in 11 matches in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy but still have some more matches in hand to improve on my performance. Inshallah, I will give my best in the upcoming matches and try and improve on my bowling figures.


Pakpassion.Net : Have you set any aims or targets for this domestic season? Are you on track to achieve them or do you think you need to improve further?

Zia-ul-Haq : Yes, like every other bowler, I had an aim in my mind before the start of this domestic season. I intended to take 50-plus wickets in this season. As I mentioned before, I have bagged 35 wickets thus far so I am hopeful of getting closer to my target. Wickets are a mix of good fortune and skills for any bowler and I am satisfied with my bowling efforts in this season.


Pakpassion.Net : Are you happy with the new domestic structure the PCB has introduced?

Zia-ul-Haq : There are a lot of players with vast experience under their belts, who are representing different regions. There are a few new players as well, but batsmen have bats in their hands and it’s their job to score runs, just as bowlers needs to take wickets.

It’s true departmental cricket is much tougher than regional cricket and the departments face more difficulties facing teams from other departments rather than the regional teams. I would support this new system as it adds a lot of flair. When regions play with other regions, it’s a dull contest, but when they lock horns with departments, they get to face a tougher task and from that, they can learn and improve themselves as well.


Pakpassion.Net : Any specific team or batsman you’ve struggled bowling against this season?

Zia-ul-Haq : No, as of now, I don’t think I’ve been bothered much by any specific team or batsman. I have played against regional teams and honestly speaking, I haven't come across any player who really stands out. In the future, I expect the challenge to be much harder, when I get to bowl to batsmen playing for different departments.


Pakpassion.Net : How difficult is it to perform at the First-Class level to what it was at the U19 level?

Zia-ul-Haq : At the U19 level, there are players, who are inexperienced and under the age of 19, so performing there is a lot easier to what it is at the First-Class level. Here, you have to play against players from every age group, players who are vastly experienced and players who have played the game at the highest level. To perform against them, is an entirely different ball game. I feel it will take me another couple of years to adjust my footings at the First-Class level.


Pakpassion.Net : How impressed are you with the progress of fellow U19 pacer Ehsan Adil as a bowler?

Zia-ul-Haq : Yes, he certainly has done very well in his short career. He had played two complete domestic seasons and he performed in them. He was rightly given a chance to play for Pakistan in the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand but is a little unlucky to be injured and unable to play against the visiting Kenya team.


Pakpassion.Net : You switched departments from PIA to NBP. Why did you do so and has that move worked for you?

Zia-ul-Haq : Actually, a lot of senior players and officials from the NBP side convinced me to join their department. I am enjoying my cricket here although my time with PIA is also worth remembering. My experience playing for PIA was very good. Shoaib Malik used to guide me a lot. Here, I have Kamran Akmal and Fawad Alam to support me which is a great help for me.


Pakpassion.Net : What do the likes of Kamran Akmal, Fawad Alam and Wahab Riaz make of you as a bowler and how do you rate yourself as a bowler?

Zia-ul-Haq : They support me whenever and wherever I am lacking. When I am not bowling well, they come to me and advise me on how to improve as a bowler. I listen to them carefully and their tips are always helpful for me. I feel I don’t have many issues with my line, but I definitely need to improve on my length. I am bowling a bit short these days, which I feel is the suitable length for ODI and T20I cricket, but not for the longer format of the game.


Pakpassion.Net : Do you relish the competition amongst left-arm pacers in the national team?

Zia-ul-Haq : Yes, there is a very tough competition for places in our national team. The bowlers fighting for spots are very experienced. Saying that, I am hopeful of breaking through the ranks of some excellent bowlers such as Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali and Wahab Riaz. I do feel that if I am competent enough, I will be given a proper chance by the selectors.


Pakpassion.Net : Which domestic bowler do you rate very highly?

Zia-ul-Haq : There are lots of good bowlers in our domestic cricket. Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan are tough to face. As far the lesser known bowlers are concerned, I feel Mir Hamza has what it takes to play for Pakistan. He has been among the wickets for a long time now and I personally like him a lot.


Pakpassion.Net : Who was your inspiration, when you were still growing up?

Zia-ul-Haq : Wasim Akram! I always used to watch him and copy his bowling style. I just loved his bowling. I am also a left-arm pacer, so I have got a lot to learn from the maestro. The way he used to bowl and everything related to him was special for me.


Pakpassion.Net : You hail from Vehari, the hometown of Waqar Younis. Is there any more talent left in that small town?

Zia-ul-Haq : Yes, there is still a lot of talent which Vehari is producing. Apart from Waqar Younis and Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Irfan also comes from Vehari. Plenty of first-class players, including my coach Nadeem Iqbal, represented that town. I am also hopeful of doing my hometown proud just like some of the aforementioned greats have done.


Pakpassion.Net : What expectations do you have from Pakistan for the 2015 World Cup and which team is your favourite for the mega event?

Zia-ul-Haq : At the moment, Pakistan are in splendid form. They whitewashed Australia and have drawn the series against New Zealand just recently, so I am hopeful for a good show from them in the World Cup and who knows they might just win it. As far as contenders are concerned, India have a very strong batting lineup going into the World Cup next year. At the same time, their bowling lineup is very ordinary. At this moment, Pakistan are a much more balanced ODI side than India.


Pakpassion.Net : Which current international bowler has impressed you the most?

Zia-ul-Haq : At the moment, Mitchell Johnson and Dale Steyn are probably the most difficult bowlers to play for any batsmen. They may also prove to be lethal in the World Cup, keeping in mind the conditions Australia and New Zealand will offer to bowlers of their excellent quality.


Pakpassion.Net : Which has been the best moment of your short career so far?

Zia-ul-Haq : At the U19 level, I would say my performance in the U19 World Cup quarter final against India, was very satisfying. Although, we lost that match, my bowling efforts were second to none. That was a very close game and we lost by one wicket. Our pacers ran out of overs and our part-timers couldn’t finish the match off. At the First-Class level, my performance against WAPDA last season was also excellent.     

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