UPWARD CURVE

Constant learning, unflinching confidence - Asif Ali's mantra to success

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I used to play night tournaments after my shifts at the office. There was a lot of travelling and it was consuming a lot of time - Asif Ali.
I used to play night tournaments after my shifts at the office. There was a lot of travelling and it was consuming a lot of time - Asif Ali. © PCB

Asif Aliis having an extraordinary 2018. He stole the limelight with his fierce stroke-play in the PSL and played an integral role in Islamabad United's triumph. A week after he smoked Hasan Ali for three consecutive sixes to seal second PSL title for his side, Ali made his Pakistan debut in the historic three-match T20I series against West Indies in Karachi. However, his run at the international level has been underwhelming. Now, Ali might be making his ODI debut during the Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe after he was named in the 15-man squad for the five-match one-day series against the hosts, and he will fervently hope to take his chance with both hands.

Excerpts from the interview:

What did you do before the First Class debut for Faisalabad in 2010?

I used to work in the steel industry as a Quality Inspector and play T20 matches on Sundays before my first-class debut. The matches used to start at 2-2:30pm. I often participated in the tournaments and for that I had to get short leaves from my office. But, when I made my first-class debut, I left the job and took cricket as a full time profession.

Were you always a hard-hitting batsman?

I used to be a professional tape-ball player. A batsman has to hit on every ball in tape-ball cricket [which turned me into a hard-hitting batsman]. I used to take money to play. But, I left it after my first-class debut as it was hampering my training. I used to play night tournaments after my shifts at the office. There was a lot of travelling and it was consuming a lot of time.

How did Misbah-ul-Haq impact your career?

I have played almost all of my cricket under him. He has taught me a lot. He used to make my batting videos to assist me in improving my technique. He would sit with me and discuss those videos or take my clips from the other matches to tell me where I was lacking; like my footwork and highlight other issues. I used to cover those areas.

I was not picked in the first edition of the PSL. Misbah bhai picked me for Islamabad United as a replacement for a player who got unfit.

How was your PSL experience so far?

During my first PSL I did not understand what was happening around me. It was first such experience for me. I was playing with the players I used to watch on the Television. I did put up a performance in that edition in a match against Karachi Kings [Asif Ali scored a 17-ball 31 at number six to help his side chase 129-run target comfortably]. Had we lost that match we would not have made it to the play-offs. After making it to the play-offs, we won throughout. I did not get a chance to bat because our batsmen at the top did not get out.

In the second edition I went as an opener in a play-off match - which was my first match. We were chasing 125 [126] and we kept losing wickets from the other end. I scored 40-45 [39 off 36 balls]. We lost the match.

What made you successful in the third PSL season?

This time I had performed well in the domestic cricket. I had not played first-class cricket before the first two editions as Faisalabad Region was in Grade-II. I played the whole season before the third edition, beginning from the senior district tournament of the Faisalabad region. I scored three hundreds in four matches. Then I scored a century in my first first-class match of the season and followed it up with two fifties [one fifty]. Then I performed in T20s. I won my side a match against Lahore by scoring 42 off 17 balls. Then I scored a fifty. Then, during the regional one-day tournament, I scored a century and fifties in the one-dayers as well and from there I went to the PSL.

There used to be a selector in every first-class match. And you know that a player gains attention when he scores right from the start. I was fortunate that I performed throughout the season.

In the Pakistan Cup recently I played four matches [for Punjab]. I was not out in one match [5* against Balochistan], scored centuries in two matches [121 and 138 against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh], and put up 65 [64 against Federal].

How did you manage to maintain a staggering strike rate of 215 in the last five overs during PSL 3?

We had a plan. I had to go in to bat when a certain amount of overs or runs were left regardless of the number of wickets fallen. No matter if we had more overs left to score that many runs. Whatever plan I was given, I used to execute it.

Why did you leave Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited [SNGPL] for Faisalabad in 2017?

The SNGPL side had not selected me for the four-day tournament because it was my first season and many of the Pakistan players like Misbah bhai, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, and Yasir Shah were available to them as there was no [Pakistan] series during that season. So, naturally, these players got to play the whole season. This was the same season when we had gotten Faisalabad Region in First Class by winning the Grade-II tournament.

So I asked Misbah bhaiI want to play for Faisalabad because I would waste a whole year otherwise. I had a clear goal to play for Pakistan and I wanted to work hard and put an effort for it. I told Misbah bhaiI wanted to put in the hard yards for a year and then if it is in my fate I will get to play for Pakistan. He said that he liked my decision very much and he was very happy with it.

I was getting a salary of around 80,000 Pakistani rupees (658 USD) [at SNGPL] but left it for a salary 25,000 Pakistani rupees (205 USD) a month only to play the season. I asked myself what I were doing. There was a time when I was earning 5,000-7,000 Pakistani rupees (40-57 USD) while working in the steel industry. Now I was earning a good amount and I was leaving it. You know it is very difficult to run a house with 25,000 rupees. I was worried, but then I decided to take this step. When you take a step, you find hundreds of ways.

I apologised to the management for leaving the team and told them that I am making this decision just to play cricket. I don't know whether it was because of my [good] attitude, but they told me I did not need to resign and they will give me a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play for the other team. They couldn't give me the NOC on technical grounds. But, they told me that I have to return to the department after playing the season. Now, I have gone back to SNGPL.

I left that money for cricket. God always rewards a person who makes sacrifices. I made a sacrifice of money and it led to good performances throughout the season in first-class and T20 format. I scored fifties and hundreds in both formats and also in one-dayers. God certainly rewarded me.

I had left it only to play four-day cricket. It is not like that department is bad or anything. They were playing me in the one-day tournament. A squad of 20 players has to be given for the four-day tournament and I was not in it. I had no other option. It is just that I wanted to play four-day cricket. Now I look back and think that I had not even performed to the level to which the Almighty has rewarded me. I left that money for cricket and now God has given me so much money that I never thought I would earn.

How did you feel when you were playing for Pakistan for the first time during Pakistan's T20I series against West Indies?

I was in the hotel the next day of the PSL final with my family, my daughter and all of a sudden my phone started to buzz and I got many congratulatory messages. I turned on the TV and found out I have been selected to play for Pakistan. I was told that I will be called to the camp but I won't be selected. It was such an enormous moment that I started to cry. It had been my dream to play for Pakistan.

While fielding I looked at myself again and again as I couldn't believe I was wearing a Pakistan kit. The green kit! During the Scotland tour I was startled that I was there to play for Pakistan. Even now, I cannot believe that I have played for Pakistan.

Why aren't you as successful in the international level yet?

During the first T20I against the West Indies, I went in to bat with three overs remaining. Three overs are enough for me as I have to hit the ball right away. In the next match I scored 15-16 runs [14] and two-three overs were remaining when I got out.

Then Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram met me and said 'this is the same bat and ball and cricket is the same. But this is not the PSL. This is international cricket and you will not be able to play here the same way.' I asked for their guidance and they told me to take my time.

I followed what they said and then scored 25* and finished the third match. Of course, I realised they were right. In Scotland, I got to play only one ball in the first match. In the second match, I hurried and played a very poor shot first ball with still six overs to go. Believe me, I kept thinking about that shot throughout my flight back home. I am trying to put in the effort that is required to flourish at this level. I am learning what is required to thrive at this level and constantly working on myself.

So, how is it like to be in the Pakistani side?

We are the number one side [in T20I]. And, it takes a lot to become a number one side. We played like a top-ranked side against the West Indies. We had three new players in me, Hussain Talat, and Shaheen Afridi in that series. I don't think we made anyone feel that we were debutants with our skills.

Our captain Sarfraz Ahmed has gelled the team together nicely. No one is senior or junior. Everyone is the same. And, he asks for effort from the players. He treats everyone the same. The atmosphere in the dressing room is amazing.

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