Babar says 'loving the role' of being Pak's 'main spinner'

Pakistan left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar has said that he is loving the role of being the main spinner for the national cricket team because it provides him with a different sort of challenge.

The 35-year-old spinner had to endure a 12-year long journey from domestic to international cricket, but it has been well worth the wait for him. For those 12 years, Babar faced plenty of ifs and buts but he has outlasted them all and now, finally, he has made it.

Babar made his first-class debut in 2001, but it was in 2013 that he was finally named in an international squad when he was part of the T20 side that travelled to West Indies, where he took three important wickets and also contributed with the bat, scoring 13 vital runs, including a six off the final ball with the scores tied, The Express Tribune reported.

Babar said that he is loving the role of being the main spinner for Pakistan because it provides him with a different sort of challenge and the pressure is bringing the best out of him.

He added that the first Test victory against Australia is a memory, which would live on with him forever.

Babar said that in his early days, he was an opener and used to score centuries for fun, but added that one day, he was bowling spin to his captain and from there on, he strictly told him to stick to left-arm spin.

Since then, he has tried to model himself on the bowling of New Zealand's Daniel Vettori. He said that he improved his bowling by watching hundreds of videos of Vettori because he is a world-class bowler and a legend.

Babar has finally fulfilled the destiny that he claims was not his, but his brother's, but he still misses the man he looked up to.

Babar said that he is proud that he has been able to fulfill the dream of his father and his late brother, but added that he can only wish that his brother was alive to see him play for Pakistan.