Sharjeel vows to work harder

DUBLIN: Sharjeel Khan hit one of the most spectacular limited-over knock of the year on Thursday and then announced that his best was yet to come.

His 152 at rain-soaked Malahide powered Pakistan to a 255-run victory against Ireland but the left-hander said that he would continue to work harder to bring further improvement in his performance at the international level.

“I have been really working hard on my batting, my fitness and my fielding,” he said after his match-winning performance in the first One-day International.

“The plan is to keep working harder because that’s the only way I can keep giving my best for Pakistan,” added Sharjeel, who celebrated his 27th birthday on August 14.

Sharjeel, despite his prowess to clear the boundary at will, was often ridiculed on the social media because many thought he was overweight for international cricket. He found the boot camp in Abbottabad earlier this summer tough, but somehow managed to lose more than five kilo-grammes.

And it showed.

He was in terrific form while playing for Pakistan A and England Lions earlier this season and is now looking set to making his presence felt in the five-match ODI series against England from August 24-September 2.

Thursday’s game at Malahide was Sharjeel’s first ODI in two years as he was dropped from the squad after failing to impress much in Sri Lanka in the summer of 2014. But Sharjeel was one of the stars of the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL) earlier this year in the UAE and also made his presence felt in the ICC World Twenty20 championship 2016.

“It was my comeback innings (in the ODI format) and I just wanted to give my best in it,” he said.

Sharjeel’s cause was helped by the fact that he had adapted to the conditions during Pakistan A’s tour of England.

“The conditions here are quite similar to what we faced in England and that certainly helped.”