Naved-ul-Hasan keen to cement Test spot

Obviously, Brian Lara is still the key prize © AFP

After a disappointing few months, riddled with injury and poor form, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is back and he wants more. Some of the ODI form he displayed last year, when he was the second-highest wicket-taker, was evident in his series-winning performance against the West Indies recently. But nailing down a Test place still eludes him, something he hopes to put right on the tour to South Africa.

Naved-ul-Hasan took 11 wickets at under 12 in four matches against the West Indies to win the man-of-the-series award. Four wickets in the final game on a flat pitch at Karachi won him the match award as well. Speaking to Karachi-based daily Dawn, Naved-ul-Hasan said, "Obviously I'm happy to play some part in helping Pakistan win the one-day series but it was a team effort."

One of the reasons Pakistan did so well against the West Indies was their successful shackling of Chris Gayle up the order. Naved-ul-Hasan was instrumental in this, claiming his wicket in every match. But clearly, another left-hander was the prized wicket. "Gayle, no doubt, is a fine player but the bowlers always have a chance against him because he takes too many liberties at the start. But personally, dismissing Brian Lara twice (including first ball dismissal at Lahore) was very satisfying since he's still a great batsman."

The last of his eight Test appearance was against India, at Lahore in January this year, and South Africa offers an opportunity to make up for lost time. "My greatest wish is to play Test cricket because that is something I've not been able to do for almost a year now. I hope luck on that front will change for me on the tour of South Africa."

Naved-ul-Hasan was dropped after the Champions Trophy, as he struggled to find a groove after injuring his groin playing for Sussex in the County Championship. That injury saw him miss the Test series against England. "That was a huge disappointment for me personally since the conditions in England would have suited my style of bowling especially after the experience of playing county cricket with Sussex. But you can't sit down and regret it. Perhaps, it was predestined that I miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of playing a Test match at Lord's.

"I wasn't expecting to make such a comeback after spending the best part of this year on sidelines through injury and lack of form," he said. "But I always knew that once I regain peak fitness I would be able to get back into the groove of playing for Pakistan again," he added.

His return to form further boosts Pakistan's pace resources, already strengthened by the probable returns of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif and the progress of Umar Gul. "In hindsight perhaps the break did wonders for me because I got the time to rethink about my bowling. I got back to the basics and gradually started to gain in confidence. Now there is a healthy competition for places in the Pakistan squad. If I'm lucky enough to play, my job would be to give nothing less than the best."