20 year old Zafar Gohar is a cricketer who many Pakistani cricket followers believe has all the hallmarks of someone who could play for Pakistan for a long time. A slow left-arm bowler with an abundance of varieties, more than capable with the bat and a very fine fielder, Zafar is a cricketer who will inject passion, energy and flair when his chance arrives in international cricket.

A consistent performer in Pakistan's Under 19 team and now performing well for State Bank of Pakistan, Zafar's performances have been noted by the selectors and he is currently in the Pakistan A squad for the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Zafar spoke on a variety of topics including the experience of playing First-Class cricket, his efforts to be regarded as a genuine all-rounder, the influence of the NCA in his development as a player and also looked to the opportunity of improving as a cricketer during the tour of Sri Lanka with the Pakistan A team.

By Amir Husain (26th April, 2015)

PakPassion.net : What has the experience of playing First-Class cricket been like and how is this type of cricket different from Under 19 cricket?

Zafar Gohar : There is a lot of difference between Under 19 and First-Class cricket. For starters, you have to concentrate on the basics and also need to have a lot of patience to be able to tackle some of the more established players that you come across in these games. Some of the players I have come across during my time with my first departmental team ZTBL have played hundreds of First–Class games. This is why one has to be very disciplined in bowling and go into every game with a good plan to tackle such experienced players otherwise a player can face a lot of difficulties at this level.

In my case, I had played two games for ZTBL before I got called for the Tri Series tournament against England and UAE in 2013 so I had some experience before properly starting my First-Class career. The exposure to playing a higher level of cricket really helped me in Under 19 cricket as well in terms of being more accurate in my bowling and in the mental toughness aspect of the game.


PakPassion.net : Your skills in spin bowling are well recognized but do you feel you also need to work on your batting to become a genuine all-rounder?

Zafar Gohar : I have always made sure that when I bowl, I bowl to my best abilities and help my team. Similarly, when I put on my pads, I always want to play in a way that the team’s requirements are fulfilled, regardless of the position I play at; be that at number three, or eight. This has been my aim from the time I started playing club cricket and Under 19 as well. I have always looked to contribute whether it’s with the ball or the bat and will continue to make an effort to play in the team as a genuine all-rounder.


PakPassion.net : Sami Aslam is one of your team mates from the Pakistan Under 19 team and his ODI debut in the recent ODI Series against Bangladesh must have given you a lot of hope of playing for the senior team?

Zafar Gohar : I am very happy about Sami's debut and I am very hopeful that by playing well and becoming the best bowler in the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka with the A team, with God’s help I will be noticed by the selectors and given a chance to play in the senior team as well. I feel that steady improvements will see me play for Pakistan in the near future.


PakPassion.net : During your time with the Pakistan Under 19 team, what was your most memorable game and why?

Zafar Gohar : Undoubtedly, this has to be the semi-final victory against England in the 2014 World Cup. I was able to perform and serve my country to the fullest. Of course, cricket is a team game but I am pleased that my contribution with the bat (37*) helped Pakistan win the game and move to the final.

Whilst on this subject, let me also mention the game which will always bring painful memories. This was the Quarter-Final loss to India in 2012. Every young cricketer has the dream of playing in the final of a World Cup but unfortunately that was not to be as we lost to India in that game.


PakPassion.net : As a young player, can you tell us your views on the pressure of an India Pakistan game? How much does that effect your game?

Zafar Gohar : India is our old rival and an ‘enemy’ in the cricket sense of the word only. All games against India are taken very seriously in Pakistan and it really doesn’t matter what level (U19 or Senior) or whichever format the game is being played. There is always tremendous hype around these games. I can’t really say for others but a game against India acts as a motivation and spur for me to perform even better for the country and myself. I don’t and haven’t felt any real pressure going into any high profile game like this.


PakPassion.net : Which other foreign teams and players have impressed you during your Under 19 career?

Zafar Gohar : The obvious answer to that has to be India! That is a team that has always given us a very tough time in many competitions. After that, I would mention South Africa as they are an excellent outfit and not easy to beat.

In terms of players, there is no doubt in my mind that Sanju Samson of India is a brilliant player and a very tough opponent. Apart from him I have also been very impressed by the South Africa Under 19 captain, Aiden Markram. I am hoping that as my career progresses, my rivalry with these players will remain strong and we will have some interesting battles in the future.

I have to add here that off the field we all get along very well but once on the field, we all do what is necessary for our teams to succeed. When it comes to cricket I will be as competitive as I can, even if my own brother is playing for the opponents!


PakPassion.net : Which area of your own game is the one you want to work on more and improve as time goes on?

Zafar Gohar : One never stops learning when playing cricket. I am sure if you ask the great Sachin Tendulkar, he will also say that even after 100 centuries, he was still learning the game! As for me, I am still at the early stages of my career and the learning process will continue for a long while. I am always working on my fielding, bowling and batting and trying to improve it constantly.


PakPassion.net : Pakistan A Coach Mohammad Akram recently mentioned the fact that domestic players find it difficult to dive in the field as they haven’t played sports such as Rugby. How true is that assessment?

Zafar Gohar : He is absolutely right. All around the world, the youngsters at the grass roots level play all kinds of sports. I have read somewhere that AB de Villiers used to play squash, swim and do many other sports other than cricket. Obviously, this has a major impact on your physical abilities.

In my case, I haven’t really felt any difficulty in diving to stop the ball. I am, and have always been, impressed by the agility of the South African fielders. I love the way they dive to field or effect a run out and it shows what an important role fielding and physical fitness plays in the success of any side. This is why, I always pay great attention to my fielding.


PakPassion.net : The opportunity to represent Pakistan in the ‘A’ tour of Sri Lanka is a very important stage in your career. How are you feeling about this?

Zafar Gohar : It was a great feeling when my I saw that my name had been included in the squad to tour Sri Lanka. I have played for Pakistan A against Kenya recently and also in the UAE a few months ago. This is an important stage in my progress towards a position in the Pakistan senior team and I will be taking this very seriously. Hopefully, I will perform well in the Sri Lanka tour. I have set myself a target for every game I play and also a target for the whole series as well. I hope to achieve all those goals during this series.


PakPassion.net : Do you do your own research on your opponents or do you only rely solely on what your coach tells you in terms of strategy against particular players?

Zafar Gohar : In this day and age when records and manners of dismissal of each player can be queried on the internet, one has to use his own initiative to learn as much as they can about their opponents. So, statistics such as the number of runs, style of play etc are all there for one to check up on. I have always done my research as a bowler to know more about the batsmen I was going to bowl at. I did that even at the Under 19 level to understand who the better players are and to know their areas of strength and weaknesses. This kind of groundwork by players also makes life a little easier for the coaches as well.


PakPassion.net : How important are the A tours for the development of younger players, especially tours to countries outside Asia ?

Zafar Gohar : These tours are crucial for the development of any player and playing outside Asia is a different experience all together. However, I will add that the player’s job is to perform regardless of where he is playing and even playing in Asia such as in Sri Lanka, is an important experience especially if we look at the fact that Pakistan will be playing in Sri Lanka after Bangladesh. So playing there would be beneficial for some A team players who could be called in for the Pakistan senior team’s tour of Sri Lanka. If you look at my experience, I have played in Australia but for me playing in Sri Lanka is a new chapter in my career and a great opportunity for me to learn.


PakPassion.net : As we saw by the high scores in the recently concluded 2015 World Cup, the world seems to be a tougher place for a bowler. Are you worried about this trend?

Zafar Gohar : The game has changed a lot due to changes in fielding restrictions in ODIs. What is obvious now is that bowlers have to be very accurate and the margin of error has been reduced even further. You need to have variations in your bowling and as I said you need to be extra accurate.


PakPassion.net : As a young player, how do you cope with the pressure of playing in front of large crowds, especially when the crowd is not supporting you?

Zafar Gohar : There is undoubtedly pressure on you and as a young player you can easily feel intimidated by it. I recall the pressure I felt when I played in the final of the Under 19 World Cup in 2014. However, for me personally as I have matured, I tend to use the crowd pressure as a motivation to do better. I feel that I have to show everyone what I am capable of instead of feeling any fear. I recently played for the State Bank of Pakistan in the final of the Haier President's Gold Cup in Karachi in front of a large crowd and that didn’t really bother me. In fact I want more crowds to come to watch me and appreciate my work and I want the media to take notice of my skills and also want to perform for my family and supporters. It all depends on how you use the presence of a large audience. Some people take it negatively but I don’t.

Initially, even the presence of TV cameras can be a problem but then you say to yourself that this is how cricket is played nowadays and you adjust to it. If your focus is on your targets and if you believe in your own abilities and you know that you have been waiting all your life for this day to represent your country then all this, crowds or TV cameras, do not matter or bother you.


PakPassion.net : How important is the role of the NCA in the development of players in Pakistan cricket?

Zafar Gohar : The NCA is the backbone of our cricket. In my case, I felt very disheartened and low in confidence after the 2012 World Cup defeat against India in the Quarter-Finals stage. I was determined to improve myself and I have done that by making the NCA my second home and working on my fitness and on my bowling since 2012. Here I have been given valuable tips by senior players and have had a chance to improve by bowling against senior team players. The NCA has great facilities and this is a place where you can concentrate on improving your game and it really up to players to make that effort and use this chance as the amount of support, whether it’s from the coaches or even the ground-staff, is incredible.


PakPassion.net : How do you keep yourself fit between seasons?

Zafar Gohar : Obviously during the season, there isn’t much time to work on any fitness as you hardly get a day or two for your body to recover after a four day game. In a sense, your “in” season fitness depends on how you keep yourself fit during the off-season period. If you don’t pay attention to your fitness during off-season then your game will suffer when the season starts. The fact is that if you build your physical strength then you will also become strong mentally as both aspects go hand in hand.


PakPassion.net : You have had an amazing journey so far and have many years of cricket ahead. What advice do you have for youngsters who want to embark on a similar career?

Zafar Gohar : I started playing cricket because I had the passion for the game. A cricketer needs to have an ultimate target but he must also have some smaller targets which should help him get to the final target. So if the aim to play at the highest level then you have to think about what you need to do to get to that target. If one wants to become Virat Kohli then one has to ask himself what he did to get to that stage and that is what you as a young player have to do as well. So, what I will say to the youngsters is to stay disciplined and focused in all aspects of cricket. This is what I have done so far and will continue to do in the future.

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