Faisalabad: The Karachi Test will be a crucial one for Imran Farhat. With opener Shoaib Malek not included in the team for the Karachi Test, it will be Farhat who is likely to walk out to open the innings for Pakistan.
Farhat is hoping to score another century against the Indians. "I consider my 101 against India at Lahore during the last tour as one of my memorable knocks. It helped us win that Test too. It was a long-time dream to get a hundred against India," remarked the 23-year-old left-hander, who has already played in 15 Tests after making his Test debut against New Zealand in Auckland during the 2001 tour.
His total runs amount to 841 with an average of 30.03, and this includes two centuries and four fifties.
Recalling his early days of playing cricket, Farhat says that he began playing cricket when was only eight years old. "I got interested in the game because of my brother Humayon. I used to accompany him to the cricket grounds where he played," he said.
None in his friends thought Farhat would become a cricketer. "My father Farhat Hussain represented Pakistan as a badminton player and my sister played for the Pakistan women's hockey team," he revealed.
Hailing from a sports family, it was easy for Farhat to concentrate on the game. "I got all the support from my parents and soon got selected to represent Pakistan in the 1999 Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka," he said.
There he impressed the selectors during the World Cup. "On my return to Pakistan after the World Cup, I scored nearly 800 runs in domestic cricket and came into the national team reckoning," noted Farhat, who has married the daughter of former Pakistan Test star Mohammad Illyas.
Farhat never hesitates to take tips from his seniors. "Imran Khan and Javed Miandad always told me that I should never ever throw my wicket. I try hard to stick to that and ensure that I commit very few mistakes while batting," he said.
Pakistan has pinned a lot of hope on Farhat and Salman Butt to provide them with an excellent start in Karachi.
