Mohammad Hafeez Reveals Shoaib Akhtar Convinced Him Not To Retire

Comeback man Mohammad Hafeez has revealed former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar talked him out of retirement. The right-hander scored a century on his Test comeback against Australia.

Mohammad Hafeez returned to Pakistan’s Test team after more than two years and made it a comeback to remember. The allrounder slammed an impressive century as Pakistan reached 255/3 at stumps on day one of the first Test against Australia on Sunday.

Hafeez made 126 while Imam-ul-Haq hit 76  to put the hosts on the driver’ s seat.

Hafeez was not a part of Pakistan’s original 17-man Test squad. However, he was added to the squad later on and totally justified the faith with a ton.

The 37-year-old combined with fellow opener Imam for the largest first-innings opening partnership Australia have conceded in over 30 years.

Things, however, could have been pretty different for Hafeez who was going through a tough phase in the last couple of years. He had fallen down the pecking order, his place in Pakistan’s central contracts was downgraded and a comeback to the national team was looking bleak. Fed up with all the obstacles, Hafeez had contemplated retiring.

However, before he could take the dire step, Shoaib Akhtar as well as his wife convinced him to change his mind and carry on. Speaking at the end of the day’s play, Hafeez revealed how close he had come to giving up the game.

“I had a few problems in the last few months,” he said. “I could have taken some steps, drastic. But I was stopped from taking them. I could have taken them, my wife stopped me. Shoaib Akhtar specially called me. And at that time I was thinking of drastic steps as I was very disturbed.

“I think Allah is the best planner and he planned good things for me. I could have been something else this time. I probably think this is the place where I had to stage a comeback. When I came back in the team all the players welcomed me and gave me confidence, and that increased my inner energy so I am very happy at the comeback,” he added.

Comeback is not new for the veteran batsman. The latest one was  was his fifth in Test cricket. He, however, is not unfazed by it as he said the challenge of proving himself has made him tougher.

“Look, [even] Younis Khan had to prove himself. Even in his last Test, so it happens with us,” Hafeez said. “It’s like this and it’s tough to make [others] understand. And understand it yourself, how many times you have to prove yourself.

“You are challenged by that, your critics challenge you. They wait for your bad performances and highlight them. That challenges you and it brings the best out of you. That has worked for me and Allah has helped me. I always want to play positive and leave behind all such things.”

Despite not being named in the initial squad, Hafeez insisted he said he had been expecting the recall, given his form in domestic cricket. He came into the Test team after slamming a double-hundred for his first-class team SNGPL.

“Don’t know about the mindset because I was looking forward to take that challenge,” he said. “I was announced as 18th member by the management later on. I was playing domestic cricket and scoring runs so I was expecting a recall. I was in a positive frame of mind that I am going back into the team and that I will perform.”

Pakistan, meanwhile, ended the day on a commanding 255 for 3.  Haris Sohail and Mohammad Abbas will resume proceedings with the bat on day 2.