Speaking exclusively to PakPassion.net, the 30 year old all rounder who is enjoying a resurgence in his fortunes, looks ahead to the upcoming Faysal Bank Twenty20 tournament and also discusses his own form

By Saj Sadiq (September 24, 2011)

Mohammad Hafeez was the star performer for Pakistan recently on their tour of Zimbabwe in all three formats. Hafeez totalled 188 runs in the three one day internationals, including a superb 139 not out in the second match in Harare. In addition to this he scored 119 and 38 respectively in the only test match of the series in Bulawayo. The two Twenty20 internationals saw Hafeez continue his consistency and score 71 and 51.

It wasn’t just Hafeez’s batting that impressed in Zimbabwe, but his off spin also provided vital breakthroughs on a regular basis. During the tour of Zimbabwe Hafeez took 13 wickets, including 7 in the two Twenty20 internationals.

Since his return to the national side last year Hafeez has impressed all with his attitude, consistency and willingness to work hard on all aspects of his game. Previously in and out of the side and unable to cement his place, Hafeez is now one of the first names on the Pakistan team sheet in all formats.

Speaking exclusively to PakPassion.net, the 30 year old all rounder who was born in Sargodha spoke of his satisfaction at his recent form and also looked ahead to the upcoming Faysal Bank Twenty20 tournament.

“The Faysal Bank Twenty20 tournament is a big tournament for everyone. Firstly for the fans, as there is no international cricket being played in Pakistan for the last few years. Also it’s a great opportunity for all the players to show the watching world that they are able to play good cricket and show everyone what they are capable of.”

“Also the Faysal Bank Twenty20 tournament is an excellent opportunity to enhance the reputation of Pakistan cricket throughout the world. The last tournament in Faisalabad was a huge success and I think every time this tournament is played, improvements can be made to it, to make it even more popular and high profile. This tournament can be used to send out a strong message to the rest of the world and show the watching world that Pakistan is a safe country and that teams should come to Pakistan and play cricket here.”

For the first time since the inauguration of the tournament a team from outside Pakistan will take part. The Afghanistan Cheetahs have been invited to partake in the fourteen team competition and Hafeez praised the decision to invite the Afghans.

“It’s good to see all of the Pakistan international players taking part in this tournament and I think it’s a good initiative by the Pakistan Cricket Board to invite the Afghanistan team this time around. Afghanistan coming to Pakistan to take part in the tournament is a positive sign and it shows the rest of the world that Pakistan is a safe country to play cricket in and that it welcomes all teams from around the world to come and play cricket in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan are desperate to see international cricket return to their shores, they want to see all the teams from around the world come to Pakistan and for international cricket to resume as soon as possible.”

In addition Hafeez who will be representing the Faisalabad Wolves in the Faysal Bank Twenty20 tournament feels that such tournaments give Pakistani cricketers an ideal opportunity to show the world just how passionate Pakistanis are about their cricket and what it would mean for them to see international cricket return to Pakistan.

“The upcoming tournament in Karachi gives all Pakistani cricketers the ideal opportunity to show their talent as of course no international cricket is being played in Pakistan. For that reason cricket in Pakistan is suffering, but the players who have represented Pakistan deserve a lot of praise for their performances since the prevention of cricket in Pakistan the players have done a remarkable job in performing so well, especially as they have not had the advantage of home conditions.”

“All of the batsmen and bowlers have had to come to terms with unfamiliar conditions all of the time. The management and players do deserve a lot of credit for the work they have put in over the last couple of years. My message is simple to the rest of the cricketing world, we Pakistanis love their cricket and want to see international cricket return to their homeland.”

Rawalpindi Rams will be defending champions in the Faysal Bank Twenty20 tournament, having won the Super Eights last time around in Faisalabad. Whilst not entirely ruling out his Faisalabad Wolves Team, Hafeez who made his first class debut 12 years ago pinpointed the Karachi Dolphins, Sialkot Stallions and Lahore Lions as the teams who could potentially lift the trophy this time around.

“This time around if you look at the overall strengths of the teams taking part, the Karachi Dolphins, Sialkot Stallions and Lahore Lions look very strong. These three teams look powerful but you can’t write off any team. Hyderabad aren’t highly rated but they could be the dark horses as they have shown in previous tournaments that they are a useful side.”

“As for Faisalabad Wolves, well we need to raise our performance levels. In the last few tournaments we have not performed at our expected level. We have lost a couple of times at the semi final stage and I hope that the upcoming tournament will give Faisalabad the chance to bounce back. We’ll come back harder this time around by going in there with a plan and performing well in this tournament.”

“The tournament is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to shine and perform well, especially the youngsters to impress the selectors. The example for the younger players being Rameez Raja (jr) in the last tournament who did very well and he was given a chance to play for Pakistan recently. The crowds, the pressure and intensity give all of the players a very good opportunity to test themselves.”

The Twenty over phenomenon continues to grow worldwide and Pakistan is no exception. Huge media interest, excellent ticket sales in previous tournaments and all of the current stars of Pakistan cricket making themselves available mean that the tournament in Karachi is expected to be another success and Hafeez spoke of the popularity of a version of cricket that still does not appeal to some.

“The Twenty over format of cricket is hugely popular not just in Pakistan but all over the world. It’s of course a short version, you get all the excitement in the space of a couple of hours or so and you get results quickly. It’s really exciting for the players and the fans and it doesn’t matter whether it’s the IPL, The Big Bash, Twenty over competition in England, wherever this format of the game is being played it’s getting a lot of hype. The competition in Pakistan can continue to be improved and it can be used to benefit all of the components that make up Pakistan cricket.”

Hafeez’s recent form has seen him praised by fans, media and team mates and he has now become an integral part of the Pakistan side in all formats. Responding to a question about what he attributes to the change in his fortunes, Hafeez stated “I’m just doing the basics right, I’m trying to stick to my basics and trusting my ability. Also one shouldn’t forget the blessings of the Almighty on me. I’m working hard and I’m seeing the results thankfully.”

The Faysal Bank T20 Cup gets underway tomorrow with the first match seeing the Abbottabad Falcons take on the Quetta Bears.