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I always play the match as if it is my last: Razzaq

ABU DHABI - Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq received a standing ovation after a gem of knock and it seemed that his spot in the team for the foreseeable future was settled. But the 30-year-old had a different perspective on it.

“I always play the match as if it is my last. I would always think that if I didn’t perform, they will drop me. We need support. If you think that you will be dropped if you do not perform well, then you wouldn’t be able to play good cricket. We need motivation,” Razzaq urged to the team management and the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Razzaq fired up a chase which looked like going awry once again. The down-to-earth character from Lahore sent the South African bowlers on a leather hunt, clubbing 109 from just 72 balls with a whopping 10 sixes and seven boundaries, to overhaul South Africa’s mammoth 286. Pakistan won by a wicket and a ball to spare in a thriller of a day-nighter to level the five-match series 1-1 in the Bank Al Falah presents Cool & Cool Cup at the Shaikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium on Sunday night.

But he did add though that this was his best innings. “This is my best innings and I will remember it all my life. It was an unforgettable innings and an unforgettable match,” he said.

Razzaq, who came in at No.7 and scored this unbelievable innings has batted at that position 81 times in 245 ODIs. But he has been shuffled in the batting order from opener right down to No.11. Razzaq felt that he has been under utilised.

“I think my talent has not been properly utilised both in batting and bowling, especially my batting spot, which has never been permanent. I haven’t been played in the spot in want to play in the batting order.

“It is the same in the bowling as well. Because of that, I was under a lot of pressure. But I said to myself that I will play my natural game. I feel I have been under utilised and there is a lot of pressure because of that,” Razzaq said.

Turning his focus on the present series, Razzaq said the win would do wonders to a team which has been going through a lot. “The morale of the team was down. We need this win very badly. God willing, we won this game. The morale is back now. This is good for Pakistan cricket. Every time there is a controversy or we lose one or two matches, people start to write us off, which is wrong. I would request the fans to please keep faith in us so that we can lift ourselves,” he said and added: “We have to take advantage of this victory. There are three more matches remaining and we have to win them to win the series.”

Despite Pakistan getting close to the target, they were losing wickets and after the ninth wicket fell, that of Saeed Ajmal, Razzaq said that the momentum had shifted South Africa’s way. So, his game plan was to go for sixes and boundaries instead of singles. “When Saeed Ajmal had got out, the match had gone South Africa’s way. A catch or run out would have ensured we lost. It was a crucial period. So, I decided that singles were not a good idea and sixes and fours were the way to go,” said Razzaq.

Razzaq was all praise for captain Shahid Afridi and said: “Afridi is getting mature over the years. He is friendly with the players too. He has motivated me a lot.”