Rookie Musa hopes to make an impression

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Gy­m­khana’s rookie pacer Musa Khan, who has been drafted in both Test and T20 squads for the Australia tour, Monday hoped to make his inclusion count, saying that “it is the biggest moment for his short but eventful cricketing career”.

Talking to ‘The News’, soon after chief selector Misbahul Haq announcement that he along with other teenage pacer Nasim Shah have been picked for Australian tour, Musa said he got thrilled and excited at the news.

“Every cricketer’s dream is to play for the national team and for the country. Ever since I started my game, my main objective had been to represent the national team in international cricket and finally I have got a chance,” he said.

19-year old Musa belongs to Kohistan (Chitral) but has played all his cricket in Islamabad. “This Kohistan is in Chitral not the one that is adjacent to Mansehra. I belong to that part of the country but have played cricket in Islamabad,” Musa said.

The youngster has the ability to bowl at a rapid pace of around 145km.“I can even improve my speed further but basically I concentrate more on line and length and on bowling longer spells instead of short bursts.”Musa’s this uncanny ability earned him a place in the Test as well as the T20 team.

“I represented Pakistan Under-19 with the hope to play for the country’s national team for one day. I would not let this opportunity goby easily. I will try my best to retain my place in the team. Retaining a place is difficult. Unless and until I work extra hard I would not be able to do so. So my first approach would be work even harder on my fitness and performance.”

His figures of 4-38 against Khyber Pakh­tun­khwa in the on-going National T20 where he got wickets of Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Israrullah and Adil Amin impressed the selectors so much that bowling coach even rated him along with three others as the future of Pakistan cricket. “Musa, Nasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain are the future of Pakistan cricket. They are the pace battery we would be carrying around in years to come,” bowling coach Waqar Younis said.

Musa had played just one match so far of the National T20 Cup. “We have some senior pacers in the Northern team and they got the opportunity to play first three matches. When I got a chance and I tried to put in the best effort and thank God Almighty I succeeded in that,” he said.