Sportsman has to face challenges and go through failure: Abdullah Shafique

Abdullah Shafique was under tremendous pressure going into the first Test of the three-match series against England in Multan. The Pakistan opener had scored 457 runs in his last 19 innings at an average of 24.05. Out of those, 201 came in one innings against Sri Lanka in Colombo. If we take out that innings, he was averaging 14.22. 

The pressure was on Shafique but the 24-year-old responded with an 184-ball 102 on October 7 (Tuesday). "A sportsman has to face challenges and go through failure. I'm thankful to the team management and the captain for trusting me and giving me a fair run. You face a lot of mental challenges and lots of doubts, but you have to overcome it all and perform,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Shafique as saying.

Opting to bat, Pakistan lost Saim Ayub in the fourth over but that’s when skipper Shan Masood and Shafique put on 253 runs for the second wicket. The Men in Green lost three wickets in the final session and ended the day with the scoreboard reading 328/4.

"It was a very important day as the first one of the series. The whole team understood the value of setting the tone up front because that's the mode in which the team plays thereafter. The wicket is challenging to bat on a fresh pitch with the new ball, but the partnership between me and Shan gave the team a big boost.

"It's a challenge batting for long because of this extreme heat in Multan. But you can't let yourself make excuses and keep trying to do what you are required to do. How well you take your opportunity is what matters. It's not just the batter but the whole team which is confident when you do well."

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