Bureau Report
Lahore: Emerging batsman Abdullah Shafique is looking forward to learn more from Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam during the upcoming Zimbabwe series.
The 20-year-old uncapped Abdullah also revealed that besides admiring Babar, he is inspired by Australian great Ricky Ponting.
“Ricky Ponting is my inspiration and I admire him a lot. I try to follow him and copy his shots,” Abdullah said while talking in a virtual media talk at a hotel in Lahore.
“I will keep a close eye on Babar during the camp ahead of the Zimbabwe series. It will be a great learning platform that will allow me to improve my game more,” he added.
Abdullah scored 358 runs for Central Punjab at an average of 44+ in 10 innings of the National T20 Cup. Abdullah is now eyeing an opportunity in the forthcoming series.
“Overall, it was a good journey. I scored a hundred and batted with consistency. It was a great learning experience to bat in different situations. It is now on me to be prepared and wait for a perfect opportunity,” he maintained.
Talking about his cricketing journey, he revealed that his family background is related to cricket and has full support from them. “My father is also a former first-class cricketer and he is also my first coach. He always explains to me on calls regarding my game. Paternal uncle is my second coach and I receive a lot of help from them,” he added.
It must be noted that Abdullah was named in the probables of the men’s team for the Zimbabwe tour, announced by head coach Misbah-ul-Haq.
