"I will not blame anyone for the 10 years I was away from international cricket" - Fawad Alam
Fawad Alam made his Test debut in 2009 and scored a century in his second innings. However, after he failed to post big totals in his next two Tests, the selectors dropped him from the team. It took Alam a decade to gain the selectors' attention again as he donned the whites for Pakistan in 2020 after a 11-year break.
Although Fawad Alam scored heaps of runs in domestic cricket during his time in the wilderness, he did not get a spot in the Pakistan cricket team. Nevertheless, Alam is not unhappy with the team management for ignoring him for close to 11 years. The left-handed batsman has made a fantastic return to Test cricket, scoring two centuries in the last two months.
Fawad Alam scored a 269-ball 102 against New Zealand in the 2020 Boxing Day Test. He continued his form and aggregated 109 runs off 245 deliveries against South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday. After the day's play, Alam participated in a virtual press conference in which he clarified he would not blame any backroom staff members for his exit from the team.
“I will not blame anyone for the 10 years I was away from international cricket. The respect I have gained despite spending so much time on the sidelines is probably more than what I could have done by playing for a longer period of time," said Fawad Alam.
The South African Test team took the field in Karachi for the first time since 2007 and posted 220 runs on the board in the first innings before reducing the home team to 27/4. Fawad Alam then came to the team's rescue with a patient century. His hundred has given Pakistan an 88-run first-innings lead heading into the Test's third day.
It’s a great feeling because I scored runs for my side when they needed it most: Fawad Alam
Fawad Alam joined Ravi Bopara in a unique group of cricketers with three Test hundreds and no half-centuries in Test cricket. As mentioned ahead, Pakistan was in deep trouble as Imran Butt, Babar Azam, Abid Ali, and Shaheen Afridi returned to the pavilion with only 27 runs on the scoreboard. Alam was delighted to have saved the day for his team at the National Stadium.
"It’s a great feeling because I scored runs for my side when they needed it most. I thank Allah Almighty for helping me succeed," continued Fawad Alam.