Babar intent on defying age, staying consistent

"What I want is to keep pinching the selectors with my performances. I am not afraid of any contest with anyone, I know a time will come that nobody will stop me from playing for Pakistan," Zulfiqar Babar said, after a successful domestic season in 2012, when he was nearly 34 years old.

Babar spent nearly a decade in domestic cricket looking for an opportunity in international cricket and, by the time he played a T20 against West Indies in July 2013, at 34, he was the second-oldest debutant for Pakistan. In October 2013, he earned a maiden call-up to the Test side and has played seven Tests after his debut against South Africa in Abu Dhabi. He will be 37 in December this year but age is just a number for the spinner. Over the years, Saeed Ajmal's burgeoning success either kept many spinners' prospects on hold or overshadowed their careers, but Ajmal's absence from the Sri Lanka tour has given Babar a shot at sealing a relatively long-term position in the team.

Pakistan have done well in Tests without Ajmal but the bowler's absence is still treated as a setback. Babar's six-wicket haul in the tour game eased concerns, however, and Misbah-ul-Haq said the performance was "perfect" for the left-arm spinner to ride on. "He got the rhythm and confidence we are looking for in a spinner," Misbah said. "He bowled exactly how a captain expects his bowler to bowl on such pitches in Sri Lanka. I think we have a good future with these spinners."

Pakistan drew the practice match in Colombo and reached Galle for their first Test starting from Wednesday. During an extensive training session, Babar bowled for an hour, deceiving Younis Khan and Misbah with his drift, and pushing hard to get the ball to spin. Babar had watched Rangana Herath take 14 for 184 in Colombo last year - the second-best for Sri Lanka in Tests - and was trying a few new things inspired by Herath's bowling.

"I was trying to do something different and I was following Herath's successful bowling against us last year," Babar said. "I saw his videos and his wrist movement, and understood that he was breaking with the ball apart from his drift. So I intend to deceive the batsman in front of the three wickets by breaking it sharply, exactly what he has been doing."

Babar's best series in a short career came last year in the two Tests against Australia in the UAE. He bowled 115.4 overs, snapped two five-fors and became the top wicket-taker with 14 scalps at 26.35. His slider, in particular, was very effective. Since then, however, he has lost out on his place due to the transition in the side. His form also dropped recently - he gave away 224 runs for three wickets in the Khulna Test against Bangladesh, his only game of the two-match series.

Babar knows that at 36, he can't afford to lose track and he wants to push himself to stay in the team. "Being in form is nothing but a phase when you are applying yourself in a proper way," he said. "There are technical things involved and being human, you can't be consistent all the time. One bad day can distract you and you suddenly lose all confidence.

"You need time and I don't have it. I know I have to be at my best and avoid making mistakes. These days there are very few supportive pitches, but I have to be consistent. It's not like I am saying I will never make mistakes, which is not a fair thing to say. This is a game of cricket and mistakes tend to happen, but the teams that make fewer mistakes eventually win."

He further added: "What is important is how we move on either with the regrets - which will only push you back - or with the intention of improvement. A player is good only when he keeps his mind clear and maintains the serenity within himself, and buries the sense of regret in the field."

In Ajmal's absence, Pakistan have played Babar and Yasir Shah as frontline spinners. Babar noted, however, that the offspinner's experience would have been important for Pakistan.

"Ajmal is a very experienced bowler and we are going to miss him on the field," Babar said. "He is the one who takes the burden and keeps us free from the pressure. With him at the other end, he gives you a sense of confidence, as he knows everything and the answer to every question. He knows the favourite shot of a batsman, where to bowl to him, and the variation that should be used against any batsman - he gives tips on these things and that helps us.

"I hope he may come back for the next series but for now it's our [Yasir and Babar] turn to take the responsibility and we are ready for it. If you see me and Yasir bowling, we make a good combination and are doing well. He might have not taken more wickets in the tour match but he contained well, giving away only 45 runs in 23 overs. So the chemistry between us is going well."