We are keen to redeem ourselves for past mistakes: Kamran Khan

 

 

We are keen to redeem ourselves for past mistakes: Kamran Khan

 

DOHA

Opening batsman Kamran Khan has eagerly been waiting for a second chance to help hosts Qatar redeem themselves in new season.

 

A Covid-19 pandemic-enforced layoff meant Qatar could not play any international match for over one and a half years. Now they will hold the Asian Sub-regional Group A Qualifiers for the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Asian Town Stadium from October 23.

 

This is the first opportunity for Qatar to test their mettle against the likes of Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the Maldives. The winner of the event will advance to one of the two global qualifiers for the big event, to be staged in Australia in October-November next year.

 

It may be recalled that two years ago, Qatar put up an exceptional show and defeated much stronger teams like Nepal and Malaysia in the ICC T20 World Cup Asia Regional Qualifier Finals . However the defeats to hosts Singapore in the opening match and Kuwait cut short their journey.

 

Despite double losses, Qatar went on to finish second behind Singapore, who qualified to take part in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier, hosted by the United Arab Emirates.

 

Those setbacks are still fresh in Khan’s mind and body and he is more than keen to do his best to help Qatar make amends this time. “The 2019 season was the most memorable for us. We were playing at a very high level. We should have beaten Singapore in the opener. But we fell short.

 

“Then though we had beaten favorites Nepal and Malaysia, we suffered another defeat in a high-scoring clash against Kuwait. That ended our chances of advancing to the next stage and we still rue for the lost opportunities,” he added.   

 

Khan was initiated into cricket from an early age. His father ran a club in Qatar and he used to go the practice sessions with him. Playing with senior players helped him hone the game much faster. In 2001, he represented Ideal Indian School and was selected in the Qatar under-13 team to tour Kuwait. He then moved to Pakistan for studies but continued to develop himself as a cricketer. After a couple of years, he returned to Qatar to figure in the under-15 and under-19 teams.

 

His attractive all-round abilities (fast bowling and batting at number 1) earned him a spot in the senior national team at 18, along with Tamoor Sajjad, another all-rounder. For some time, he had to stop cricket in Qatar again for higher studies in Dubai.

 

After completing the bachelor’s degree, they returned to Doha and began playing the domestic league for Elite Force Choudhry Club. Sajjad also joined them. Their performances forced the selectors to include them in the national senior team once again.

 

Khan says he may have been in the national team but he kept adding new things to his game. “Whatever you do in your life, the learning never stops. I had a back injury which healed up later with lots of physiotherapy. I stopped bowling and just concentrated on my batting.

 

“In the 2019-2020 season, I was among the top three batsmen in the ICC T20 rankings. Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez later collected a good amount of runs against New Zealand and rose to the top, while I dropped to No. 5 towards of the end the year,” Khan added.

 

Last year, he was the only Qatari player to have got some competitive franchise cricket in the US. Based on his T20 rankings, he was invited to play for Paramvir Atlanta in Florida. Master blaster Chris Gayles and his West Indian compatriot Johnson Charles were also in the same team.

 

Paramvir Atlanta emerged the champions and Khan also contributed his bit to the team’s cause. He is quite positive that he would soon get a recall by the team for the new season.

 

Talking about the Qatar team and the upcoming event, he said, “We have a good blend of talented young and experienced players. There is more depth now with a few new players joining the side. We have been training regularly for nearly two months. A lot of work has been done to improve fitness and fielding. All the players appear to be in good zone.

 

“The domestic season has already started and it will have given us some much-needed match time by the time the Asian sub-regional qualifiers start here. The emphasis is on the mental toughness and proper execution of the plans - this was something that we could not perform in Singapore. This event is a fresh opportunity for us to showcase our talent once again and I feel that Qatar won’t repeat those mistakes,” Khan said with positivity and assurance.