“A sportsman has to face challenges and go through failure,” Shafique stated. “I'm thankful to the team management and the captain for trusting me and giving me a fair run. You face a lot of mental challenges and lots of doubts, but you have to overcome it all and perform.”
“Saim [Ayub] scored two 50s in the last two Tests, if we'd dropped him after the first Test, I've had that happen to me; it's not nice,” he had stated. “When I was out of the team for two years, I averaged over 60 in List A cricket, but Imam [ul-Haq-] and Fakhar [Zaman] were consistently performing. I didn't complain that I wasn't being selected, because I understood the level of competition was high. If the coach was backing the players, they were doing the right thing.”
Shafique, although, is aware of there have been in the end limits to Pakistan's selectors' endurance. Since he scored 100 in the first Test towards England two years in the past, he averaged 24.57 in 21 innings; he crossed 30 simply 5 occasions, and managed 100 and one half-century. With a troublesome tour of South Africa arising over the festive interval, he was effectively conscious he wanted to vindicate his captain.
“It was a very important day as the first one of the series,” Shafique stated. The complete staff understood the worth of setting the tone up entrance as a result of that is the mode during which the staff performs thereafter. The wicket is difficult to bat on a contemporary pitch with the new ball, however the partnership between me and Shan gave the staff a giant increase.”
After Ayub fell early, Pakistan might have feared another probing day with the bat, but Masood took the attack to England's bowlers, with Shafique content playing second fiddle. As the scoreboard began to slant in Pakistan's favour, there were glimpses of Shafique's style and panache; he brought up his half-century with a six, and went from 94 to 100 with perhaps the shot of the day, an elegant gallop forward to drive Jack Leach into the long-on advertising hoardings.
“It's a problem batting for lengthy as a result of of this excessive warmth in Multan. But you'll be able to't let your self make excuses and hold making an attempt to do what you might be required to do. How effectively you are taking your alternative is what issues. It's not simply the batter however the complete staff which is assured whenever you do effectively.”
Pakistan appear by no means to have misplaced their confidence in Shafique. Across two periods as England's bowlers toiled in Multan, Shafique went about demonstrating why that was.
