Hats Off To Him - Shoaib Akhtar Applauds 'Genius' Fawad Alam For His Commitment Towards Cricket

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar doffed his hat to Fawad Alam for his commitment towards his game despite being ousted from the national side for 11 years. On his return to the Test side, the left-handed batsman has become a mainstay with splendid performances.

Once again, against West Indies on Day 1 of the second Test, he guarded the side after the top order collapsed.

Shoaib Akhtar applauded Fawad Alam for showing a great deal of mental strength to continue playing cricket, and also starting a career as an actor when the national selectors ignored him despite terrific numbers.

The Karachi batsman hit his maiden Test hundred on his debut in 2009 against Sri Lanka. However, low scores in the next two games saw him getting dropped from the squad. Fawad went back to domestic cricket and piled up a huge amount of runs. But season after season the selectors shut their eyes to him – partly because of his crab-like batting stance, which has only got weirder over the years.

At last, last year, he managed to force his way back in the Test side. He notched up a century in New Zealand, then against South Africa and Zimbabwe. He scored a fifty in Pakistan’s loss to West Indies in the first Test, and along with Babar Azam bailed the team out of early trouble.

During his tough time, Fawad Alam also turned to TV and made a cameo appearance in a PTV comedy-drama sitcom ‘Ghar Damad’. In April this year, he made his debut as an actor in the Urduflix web series, ‘Khudkash Muhabbat’.

“Fawad Alam is a genius. He has done TV, played cricket and featured in dramas but always kept performing. He sincerely plays for Pakistan despite being out of the side for 11 years. Hats off to him,” Akhtar said in his YouTube video.

Babar Azam, Fawad Alam script Pakistan’s fightback after early blows on Day 1; Day 2 washed out

Day 2 was washed out without a single ball being bowled. That denied West Indies pacers a chance to make early inroads as they did on Day 1, which was also shortened due to bad light.

The first session was won by the hosts inside just 4 overs when the opening pair or pacers struck thrice – two for Kemar Roach, one for Jayden Seales – for the score of just 2 runs. However, then, what followed was a terrific, valiant fightback by Fawad Alam and skipper Babar Azam.

Both the batsmen brought up their respective fifties in their 158-run stand before Fawad Alam limped off the field, retired hurt due to cramps in the third session. Roach returned to strike again with the wicket of the Pakistani skipper. However, West Indies couldn’t make use of this opening, as Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf steered the side unscathed any further till early stumps forced by bad light.

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