The return of Fawad Alam

Cricket fans were left in tears after hearing that discarded Fawad Alam was recalled to the national squad after more than a decade on the sidelines. The left-handed middle order batsman was selected for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.

Fawad played his third and last Test match against New Zealand in Dunedin back in 2010. His last ODI was against Bangladesh in April 2015. In his career he has played 38 ODIs and 24 T20s. Ever since then, the versatile cricketer has been constantly overlooked and not picked for the national side.

Pakistan recently returned from a disappointing tour of Australia where the hosts were routed in the series without any victory. Chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has been under pressure as the team’s performance was below par, forcing him to take the drastic decision.

Fawad’s selection is based on his recent achievements on the domestic circuit. He is one of the most prolific batsman having scored 781 runs (average 71) in the ongoing season. During the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he scored two centuries and even a double hundred.

Fawad has a 40-plus batting average in both Test and ODIs- a rarity for Pakistani batsmen. He has been piling up runs on the first-class level. No Pakistani batsman from any era or class has a better first-class batting average then him.

Last month, Fawad Alam added another feature to his cap when he became the second-fastest Pakistani to complete 12,000 runs in first-class cricket. The only other batsman was the legendary Mohammad Hanif. Fawad has an impressive average of 56.84 from 258 innings.

It is a travesty that Fawad has only played three Test matches for the national side. He scored a second-innings century on his Test debut, but has played only two Test matches ever since. There has been no explanation why this immense talent has been wasted. Cricket officials, coaches, and even captains appreciated his performance but he was never offered a way back.

There is an unwritten rule in Pakistani cricket, that no one can ever be written off completely, and Fawad’s career has been revived. Misbah has congratulated Fawad on his selection, stating that it is the reward for his continued hard work, perseverance and dedication to the game.

Pakistan is set to play its first Test match on home soil in ten years and Fawad’s return will reinvigorate the spirit of the game and can turn things around for the faltering national team.