Once regarded as one of the brightest stars in the up and coming Pakistani fast bowling ranks, Sohail Khan it would seem has fallen off the selector's radar and as things stand is not in the immediate plans of Mohsin Khan and his colleagues.

 by Saj Sadiq

25 June 2010

Once regarded as one of the brightest stars in the up and coming Pakistani fast bowling ranks, Sohail Khan it would seem has fallen off the selector's radar and as things stand is not in the immediate plans of Mohsin Khan and his colleagues.

The 26 year old Malakand born right arm fast bowler has had limited opportunities in international cricket, with a paltry 5 matches being the sum of his international experience.

Sohail Khan had a debut first-class season in the 2007-08 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy few in Pakistan have equalled or will equal. Playing for Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC), Khan took 65 wickets in his first nine matches, with as many as eight five-wicket hauls. The second of his ten-wicket match hauls was 16 for 189, which shattered Fazal Mahmood's long-standing national record for best haul (15 for 76). 

Khan's solitary test match was against Sri Lanka in February 2009 on a featherbed at Karachi, where he bowled 27 wicketless overs as the batsmen from both teams enjoyed the great batting conditions. A fast bowler's graveyard or a backbreaker of a pitch is probably the best way to describe the surface at Karachi and no doubt Sohail must have thought why oh why did I have to make my debut on such a surface.

Speaking exclusively to PakPassion.net, Khan was philosophical regarding his test debut and whether his career may have been rather different if he had made his test debut in more favourable fast bowling conditions.

"It was a tough surface to bowl on, I remember Sri Lanka scored more than 600 runs and then our batsmen smashed 765. It was hard work, physically draining and very demoralising as a fast bowler to have to bowl on such a surface. I sometimes think back and wonder what if I had made my debut on a green top in perhaps Wellington, or in more favourable bowling conditions. Of course as a bowler you have to bowl in all conditions and give your all, but it was just bad luck on my part that my only opportunity in test cricket came on such a flat pitch".

Khan's one day international career record consists of four matches and five wickets, with a best bowling analysis of 3 for 30 against Bangladesh in April 2008. Khan though is confident that he will not be yet another one test wonder for Pakistan and if his determination is anything to go by, then he will undoubtedly be back wearing a Pakistan shirt in future.

"I'm working really hard at the moment, training at both the Asghar Ali Shah stadium in Karachi, as well as at the Rashid Latif Cricket Academy under the watchful eye of Rashid Latif and some of the coaches of the Karachi Whites team. There are a number of us working together at what you could term a mini camp. Mohammad Sami is there, Faisal Iqbal is also present, as well as my brother Murad. Altogether there are more than 20 players working together to maintain our levels of fitness and work on technical issues with the coaches. There's a good atmoshpere at the training sessions and it's great to be working with the likes of Rashid Latif."

Khan who has previously admitted to having some issues with his bowling run up, is of the impression that working with a coach of the calibre of Rashid Latif is something that he will make full use of.

"Rashid doesn't say a lot, but he watches, he watches what's going on very closely. He analyses the players and when he has collected his thoughts he will come and speak. He has given me some excellent advice regarding my action and wrist position when bowling".

The hype surrounding Khan was immense after his amazing feats in domestic cricket, but he doesn't feel that he's a spent force and that his best days are already behind him.

"I hope the selectors don't forget about me. I am disappointed that I have not played for Pakistan since February 2009, but I pray that one day my phone rings and its one of the selectors telling me that I have been given another chance to play for my country. I do not want to be remembered as a one test wonder. I wasn't named in the 35 players for the tour of England, but I will continue to work hard on my game and to take wickets in domestic cricket, in the hope that I get another opportunity in future".