Fitness is important but skills count too, says Sharjeel

LAHORE   –  Pakistan cricket team opening batsman says he is working on his fitness according to given plan but believes that everything is not about fitness, but skills also count. 

Sharjeel said this during a virtual talk with journalists here on Tuesday. “I am working on my fitness according to the given plan but also not ignoring my batting and working on my batting as well in the nets daily for two hours. Everything is not about fitness but the skills also count. Fitness is important and I am working on it and have been doing all the season. 

Sharing more about his fitness during the domestic cricket, the hard-hitting batsman said: “I have no fitness issue as such. I have played in the domestic season and have been playing well for the past seven months, which include 8 first class games, 11 T20s, 5 PSL games and 7 one-day matches in the Pakistan Cup. I am grateful to Almighty that my fitness didn’t cause any problem for me in any of these games.

“Every player has different requirements for fitness, and I am following the fitness plans given to me by domestic teams and the national team and I will do my best to achieve the required fitness levels. I did a fitness session yesterday, which was designed specifically for me and I did 15kms of running overall in the day. I am very optimistic to achieve the benchmark set for the team soon,” he added. 

When asked about his set targets, he said he is looking to play Test and ODIs as well. “This is my first tour of South Africa and I have been selected for the T20I squad and it’s my aim to perform in a way that helps the team win. I always have short-term targets, and my current target is to do well in Lahore camp. When I go to South Africa, I will make other targets once I have seen the conditions there. 

“I have been selected for T20Is so that is my only focus at the moment. I want to perform really well in the T20Is and then step-by-step look to play in ODIs and Tests but the fact is that the competition is very tough for those formats,” he added.

Sharjeel said that he hasn’t any pressure regarding his performance. “There is no pressure on me as no one from the team management has spoken to me about this rather my own focus has always been on my performance. The coaching staff is very experienced and professional and in fact, they are our legends and it’s everyone’s wish to learn from them. I have spent a lot of time with head coach Misbah-ul-Haq during the PSL and also played alongside him in international cricket. I am quite happy to learn from him.” 

Sharjeel said he was looking forward at the coming tour as a challenge. “I know pitches will be different in South Africa but I always try to play the ball on merit and stick to my natural game. If you try and think about your favourite shots only, you will get deceived by the bowler.” 

When asked how difficult it was for him to make a comeback after serving ban for two and a half year for spot-fixing, he said everyone had a past and he didn’t try to think too much about it now. “I have a past but after my comeback, I am just trying to focus on cricket, enjoy it, give performances, play my natural game and help win matches for the team. “I have not any bad feelings on return to Pakistan dressing room as all these players, I am with, are the ones I have been playing in domestic cricket and I have been welcomed well and also been given a lot of support by the management and the team. It’s a good environment and I am feeling very well.”