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Mohammad Imran Khan made his first-class debut just over seven years ago and in that period he has played 64 first class matches, getting over 250 wickets at an average of 22, taking ten wickets in a match on three occasions. He also has 17 five-wicket hauls.
Another in the long line of fast bowlers emerging from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly known as NWFP), Khan has been in good form this season and last month recorded career-best figures of 9/69, which included four bowled and four leg-before wicket decisions. He followed that superb performance up with a five-fer just one week later.
The 26-year-old has represented Pakistan "A" although he has not yet been given the opportunity with the senior team. PakPassion.net caught up with Khan to discuss his career to date, his form this season and his hopes of playing for Pakistan in future.
PakPassion.net: You of course share your name with the most famous of Pakistani cricketers. Was this a coincidence or a deliberate selection?
Imran Khan: It was my elder brother who suggested that I be named after the legendary Pakistan captain, Imran Khan. Later on as a I developed as a cricketer, I was also inspired by Khan Sahib as well as by another legend of Pakistani cricket - Wasim Akram.
PakPassion.net: Tell us about how you first developed an interest in cricket.
Imran Khan: I played tape-ball cricket a lot and then moved onto hard-ball cricket at my school. I had an immense passion for the game. When I completed my Matriculation, I moved to Peshawar in 2005. There, I played Under-19s cricket for one year for Dir District [a district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa] and then played regional cricket for Peshawar. In 2007 I made my first-class debut for the Peshawar regional team and three years later, in 2010, I joined WAPDA. I have subsequently shifted to National Bank and now represent the ZTBL departmental team.
PakPassion.net: Who were your cricketing heroes and role models when you were growing up?
Imran Khan: Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are my role models. The reason for my admiration for Wasim Akram is that he was the master of reverse swing, aligned with wonderful control over conventional swing. What I liked about Waqar Younis was his pace and of course his ability to extract prodigious movement with the old ball. Also, as I have said earlier, I am inspired by Imran Khan - he's a legend and his performance as an all-rounder was very impressive.
PakPassion.net: What do you consider to be the most important assets for a fast bowler to have?
Imran Khan: I reckon the most important thing for a fast bowler is his fitness. The next important thing after fitness is his variety. Modern day cricket demands a fast bowler to be versatile and the more versatile a fast bowler is, the higher the chances he has of performing well.
PakPassion.net: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province seems to be at the forefront of producing fast bowling talent at the moment, why do you think that is?
Imran Khan: It's just something natural. If you take the examples of Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Usman Khan Shinwari and even of myself, we all hail from the mountainous regions. As it’s a rural area, players from there are naturally very fit and after watching their heroes on television, youngsters from our region take up bowling with a passion.
PakPassion.net: You have taken 250 first-class wickets at an average of 22. You must be disappointed to have not yet received an international call-up?
Imran Khan: No, there is no disappointment at all. I am very hopeful that I will be given a chance to represent Pakistan. I have been amongst the top performers for the last three years now and I’m on top of the bowling list this season too. I am hopeful of my chances and InshAllah [God-willing] the selectors will pick me for Pakistan in future.
PakPassion.net: What areas of your game are you looking to improve?
Imran Khan: I benefited a lot from Wasim Akram's fast bowling camp in Karachi last year. I am really thankful to him for that and I’m working hard in the nets on my bowling and with my coaches. I think I can further improve the pace at which I bowl – I’m bowling at around 135kph regularly and I am able to swing the ball both ways. I always feel confident that I’ll take wickets as I pitch the ball in the right areas, as well as swinging it in both directions. InshAllah, I will improve my shortcomings.
PakPassion.net: Have you modelled your action on Umar Gul?
Imran Khan: Yes, I have modelled my action on Umar Gul! I used to play with him for the Peshawar Panthers and I liked his action, style and his rhythm so decided to replicate his action. I am very happy that I have thrived and all my fitness issues have been solved due to this action. I feel comfortable bowling with it and hope to further amend it in a bid to take more wickets in future.
PakPassion.net: You are a bowler who has shown versatility by being consistent in all three formats in domestic cricket. How do you maintain that consistency?
Imran Khan: My specialty is that I can swing the ball both ways and my length is good, which increases my chances of taking wickets. I don't pitch the ball short, instead I invite the batsmen to attack the length I bowl. Mohammad Asif used to bowl with that line and length. These days, bowlers who bowl at about 135kph and pitch the ball on a good length are getting a lot of wickets. If you don't do that, you have to be like Shoaib Akhtar and bowl at about 155-160kph.
PakPassion.net: There's a lot of competition for the fast bowling places in the national side. Do you think you can break into the Pakistan team?
Imran Khan: I am very hopeful. It all depends on my performance. I have been performing very well for the last three years now. There are always 4-5 fast bowlers in the squad, so even if I managed to get into the squad without being in the final eleven, I will learn a lot. I will keep on working hard and trying to shine in domestic cricket. By learning from senior bowlers, I will hopefully cement my place in the national team as well.
PakPassion.net: You are approaching 27 years of age, some would say you are approaching your peak. Would you agree?
Imran Khan: No, I don't agree with that. There is no peak age. It doesn’t matter whether you are a batsmen or a bowler, as long as you are fit and are performing, you can play. If you take the example of other international teams, they introduce fast bowlers at the age of 28-29, when they have had significant experience of domestic cricket. I have been playing domestic cricket for about seven years now. I have played T20s, four-day matches and List A games, so I have a lot of experience to my credit. If you are fit and in form, you can continue to play as I believe age is a mere number.
PakPassion.net: The domestic schedule this year is very tough, especially for fast bowlers. Do you think it's too tough?
Imran Khan: It’s not tough for me at all as I do a lot of work in the off-season. If you keep yourself fit, go to the gym and exercise when there are no matches going on, you don't feel lethargic or sluggish when the matches commence. There have been no signs of fatigue in my body and I haven't heard any other player complain about this tight schedule. I am playing all three formats and feel fit.
PakPassion.net: What about pace, how is your bowling at the moment?
Imran Khan: I took 10 wickets against SNGPL and bowled at a brisk pace in that match. I am on top of the wicket-taking ladder this season and I’ll try my best to stay on top. I will make sure I continue in this fashion in the last match of the season as well. This season I have taken the most number of wickets. I have the best bowling figures this season of 9/68. I have taken the most five-fers as well as the most 10-wicket hauls this season. My aim is to give my all.
PakPassion.net: How important is television coverage for Pakistan domestic cricket and are you concerned about the dwindling numbers of spectators at the grounds?
Imran Khan: The issue of cricket fans not coming to watch domestic matches is a cause for deep concern for players. The question is how to attract more audiences to the grounds? I feel that if the matches are televised, not only will it make the games more popular but it will also result in less pressure on the players when they play international cricket as they would be used to cameras aimed at them.
If you take the example of India, they televise almost every domestic match. In addition, the IPL attracts big crowds and their players get used to all the cameras and the people inside the stadium. If a player has experience of playing in front of the cameras in domestic cricket, he will fare well in international cricket compared to one who has no experience of it whatsoever. Let me say from personal experience that it is a matter of great honour when people come to see us play in domestic cricket, especially when we are playing domestic T20 tournaments which involve star players from Pakistan.
In my view, our cricket will improve more when we play in front of large audiences in matches that are being broadcast live to the rest of the country.
PakPassion.net: Do you think there could be a temptation for cricketers based in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province to choose Afghanistan over Pakistan one day?
Imran Khan: No, I have not come across any cricketer from my province who has opted to play for Afghanistan. There is no Pakistani player in Afghanistan's national team. I don’t know much about their Under-19 team, but I am sure their senior team consists of all Afghan nationals. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) region has a lot of talent. The KPK province team have played the regional final, won the Quaid-e-Azam trophy and these days, they are playing the Super 8s. The players are getting ample opportunities to play for regions as well as departments, so I don't think any player would think of playing for Afghanistan and it will be better for our cricket if our players play for us rather than for them.
PakPassion.net: What are your hopes, plans and targets for this season?
Imran Khan: This is an interesting question! The other day, I was sitting with my friends and we were discussing my performances in domestic cricket. They were motivating me to do well and were urging me to top the wickets table as I'd been second or third in previous sessions. I had been among the top 3 bowlers for the last three seasons, so I have made up my mind to do my utmost and top the table. At the start of the season, my aim was to take more than 50 wickets, let's see if I can reach my goals or not!
PakPassion.net: What about your long term aims and ambitions?
Imran Khan: My long-term ambition is to represent Pakistan and play for Pakistan for a long period of time. Usman Khan Shinwari was unlucky when he played as he was inexperienced. I am glad that I am very experienced and have no issues of fitness either. I have played over 60 first-class matches and bagged over 250 first-class wickets, so I won't have any difficulties in adjusting to international cricket.
Another in the long line of fast bowlers emerging from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly known as NWFP), Khan has been in good form this season and last month recorded career-best figures of 9/69, which included four bowled and four leg-before wicket decisions. He followed that superb performance up with a five-fer just one week later.
The 26-year-old has represented Pakistan "A" although he has not yet been given the opportunity with the senior team. PakPassion.net caught up with Khan to discuss his career to date, his form this season and his hopes of playing for Pakistan in future.
PakPassion.net: You of course share your name with the most famous of Pakistani cricketers. Was this a coincidence or a deliberate selection?
Imran Khan: It was my elder brother who suggested that I be named after the legendary Pakistan captain, Imran Khan. Later on as a I developed as a cricketer, I was also inspired by Khan Sahib as well as by another legend of Pakistani cricket - Wasim Akram.
PakPassion.net: Tell us about how you first developed an interest in cricket.
Imran Khan: I played tape-ball cricket a lot and then moved onto hard-ball cricket at my school. I had an immense passion for the game. When I completed my Matriculation, I moved to Peshawar in 2005. There, I played Under-19s cricket for one year for Dir District [a district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa] and then played regional cricket for Peshawar. In 2007 I made my first-class debut for the Peshawar regional team and three years later, in 2010, I joined WAPDA. I have subsequently shifted to National Bank and now represent the ZTBL departmental team.
PakPassion.net: Who were your cricketing heroes and role models when you were growing up?
Imran Khan: Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are my role models. The reason for my admiration for Wasim Akram is that he was the master of reverse swing, aligned with wonderful control over conventional swing. What I liked about Waqar Younis was his pace and of course his ability to extract prodigious movement with the old ball. Also, as I have said earlier, I am inspired by Imran Khan - he's a legend and his performance as an all-rounder was very impressive.
PakPassion.net: What do you consider to be the most important assets for a fast bowler to have?
Imran Khan: I reckon the most important thing for a fast bowler is his fitness. The next important thing after fitness is his variety. Modern day cricket demands a fast bowler to be versatile and the more versatile a fast bowler is, the higher the chances he has of performing well.
PakPassion.net: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province seems to be at the forefront of producing fast bowling talent at the moment, why do you think that is?
Imran Khan: It's just something natural. If you take the examples of Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Usman Khan Shinwari and even of myself, we all hail from the mountainous regions. As it’s a rural area, players from there are naturally very fit and after watching their heroes on television, youngsters from our region take up bowling with a passion.
PakPassion.net: You have taken 250 first-class wickets at an average of 22. You must be disappointed to have not yet received an international call-up?
Imran Khan: No, there is no disappointment at all. I am very hopeful that I will be given a chance to represent Pakistan. I have been amongst the top performers for the last three years now and I’m on top of the bowling list this season too. I am hopeful of my chances and InshAllah [God-willing] the selectors will pick me for Pakistan in future.
PakPassion.net: What areas of your game are you looking to improve?
Imran Khan: I benefited a lot from Wasim Akram's fast bowling camp in Karachi last year. I am really thankful to him for that and I’m working hard in the nets on my bowling and with my coaches. I think I can further improve the pace at which I bowl – I’m bowling at around 135kph regularly and I am able to swing the ball both ways. I always feel confident that I’ll take wickets as I pitch the ball in the right areas, as well as swinging it in both directions. InshAllah, I will improve my shortcomings.
PakPassion.net: Have you modelled your action on Umar Gul?
Imran Khan: Yes, I have modelled my action on Umar Gul! I used to play with him for the Peshawar Panthers and I liked his action, style and his rhythm so decided to replicate his action. I am very happy that I have thrived and all my fitness issues have been solved due to this action. I feel comfortable bowling with it and hope to further amend it in a bid to take more wickets in future.
PakPassion.net: You are a bowler who has shown versatility by being consistent in all three formats in domestic cricket. How do you maintain that consistency?
Imran Khan: My specialty is that I can swing the ball both ways and my length is good, which increases my chances of taking wickets. I don't pitch the ball short, instead I invite the batsmen to attack the length I bowl. Mohammad Asif used to bowl with that line and length. These days, bowlers who bowl at about 135kph and pitch the ball on a good length are getting a lot of wickets. If you don't do that, you have to be like Shoaib Akhtar and bowl at about 155-160kph.
PakPassion.net: There's a lot of competition for the fast bowling places in the national side. Do you think you can break into the Pakistan team?
Imran Khan: I am very hopeful. It all depends on my performance. I have been performing very well for the last three years now. There are always 4-5 fast bowlers in the squad, so even if I managed to get into the squad without being in the final eleven, I will learn a lot. I will keep on working hard and trying to shine in domestic cricket. By learning from senior bowlers, I will hopefully cement my place in the national team as well.
PakPassion.net: You are approaching 27 years of age, some would say you are approaching your peak. Would you agree?
Imran Khan: No, I don't agree with that. There is no peak age. It doesn’t matter whether you are a batsmen or a bowler, as long as you are fit and are performing, you can play. If you take the example of other international teams, they introduce fast bowlers at the age of 28-29, when they have had significant experience of domestic cricket. I have been playing domestic cricket for about seven years now. I have played T20s, four-day matches and List A games, so I have a lot of experience to my credit. If you are fit and in form, you can continue to play as I believe age is a mere number.
PakPassion.net: The domestic schedule this year is very tough, especially for fast bowlers. Do you think it's too tough?
Imran Khan: It’s not tough for me at all as I do a lot of work in the off-season. If you keep yourself fit, go to the gym and exercise when there are no matches going on, you don't feel lethargic or sluggish when the matches commence. There have been no signs of fatigue in my body and I haven't heard any other player complain about this tight schedule. I am playing all three formats and feel fit.
PakPassion.net: What about pace, how is your bowling at the moment?
Imran Khan: I took 10 wickets against SNGPL and bowled at a brisk pace in that match. I am on top of the wicket-taking ladder this season and I’ll try my best to stay on top. I will make sure I continue in this fashion in the last match of the season as well. This season I have taken the most number of wickets. I have the best bowling figures this season of 9/68. I have taken the most five-fers as well as the most 10-wicket hauls this season. My aim is to give my all.
PakPassion.net: How important is television coverage for Pakistan domestic cricket and are you concerned about the dwindling numbers of spectators at the grounds?
Imran Khan: The issue of cricket fans not coming to watch domestic matches is a cause for deep concern for players. The question is how to attract more audiences to the grounds? I feel that if the matches are televised, not only will it make the games more popular but it will also result in less pressure on the players when they play international cricket as they would be used to cameras aimed at them.
If you take the example of India, they televise almost every domestic match. In addition, the IPL attracts big crowds and their players get used to all the cameras and the people inside the stadium. If a player has experience of playing in front of the cameras in domestic cricket, he will fare well in international cricket compared to one who has no experience of it whatsoever. Let me say from personal experience that it is a matter of great honour when people come to see us play in domestic cricket, especially when we are playing domestic T20 tournaments which involve star players from Pakistan.
In my view, our cricket will improve more when we play in front of large audiences in matches that are being broadcast live to the rest of the country.
PakPassion.net: Do you think there could be a temptation for cricketers based in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province to choose Afghanistan over Pakistan one day?
Imran Khan: No, I have not come across any cricketer from my province who has opted to play for Afghanistan. There is no Pakistani player in Afghanistan's national team. I don’t know much about their Under-19 team, but I am sure their senior team consists of all Afghan nationals. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) region has a lot of talent. The KPK province team have played the regional final, won the Quaid-e-Azam trophy and these days, they are playing the Super 8s. The players are getting ample opportunities to play for regions as well as departments, so I don't think any player would think of playing for Afghanistan and it will be better for our cricket if our players play for us rather than for them.
PakPassion.net: What are your hopes, plans and targets for this season?
Imran Khan: This is an interesting question! The other day, I was sitting with my friends and we were discussing my performances in domestic cricket. They were motivating me to do well and were urging me to top the wickets table as I'd been second or third in previous sessions. I had been among the top 3 bowlers for the last three seasons, so I have made up my mind to do my utmost and top the table. At the start of the season, my aim was to take more than 50 wickets, let's see if I can reach my goals or not!
PakPassion.net: What about your long term aims and ambitions?
Imran Khan: My long-term ambition is to represent Pakistan and play for Pakistan for a long period of time. Usman Khan Shinwari was unlucky when he played as he was inexperienced. I am glad that I am very experienced and have no issues of fitness either. I have played over 60 first-class matches and bagged over 250 first-class wickets, so I won't have any difficulties in adjusting to international cricket.
