Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed has opened up after scoring a century in the second Test of the series against New Zealand in Karachi on Friday.
This was the right-hander’s first hundred since 2014 and fourth overall.
“I was part of the team for four years and despite not getting chances here, I was continuing to play well elsewhere. Wanted an opportunity from Allah Almighty and got it,” Ahmed said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
“I was very tense in the first Test, but the boys and captain gave me confidence. [Last session today] when 140 runs were left, the management said that you need to keep trying to score when the ball is there to hit.”
“But then two wickets fell, and so we changed our style of play. If those two wickets didn’t fall then the result could’ve been something else,” he added.
The former captain scored an impressive ton bearing in mind the fact that his side was 80-5 at one stage in the second innings while chasing a target of 319 runs.
“It is a fourth-innings century so it is special, probably my best,” he said when asked if it was the best innings of his career.
The 35-year-old also thanked the crowd in Karachi and requested them to visit the stadium for the ODI series as well, which starts on January 9.
“Karachi crowd has always supported me. And always supported the team. Request them to come for the ODIs too,” he concluded.
Ahmed was named the player of the match and series after scoring 335 runs in four innings, with the help of three fifties and a hundred.
It must be noted that the two-match Test series between Pakistan and New Zealand ended in a draw after both encounters failed to produce a result.
