Haseeb Hameed, the batting talent unearthed by England, who is recovering from injury, is progressing well and will most probably be ready to face the Australian fast bowling battery- Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins during the Ashes tour this winter. But he has some urgent issues to be sorted out before the commencement of the tour like the insomnia problem on tour.
His unflappable temperament shone during England's miserable test series against India. He was injured during the tour and had to return to undergo surgery. However, his inability to get a good night's rest, prompted him to undergo a second surgery of the winter.
Having undergone one operation to repair the shattered finger that ruled him out of the final two matches during the tour, a procedure to improve his nocturnal breathing delayed his 2017 first-class season. “It's an issue I have had for a while. I had two surgeries in the past, both unsuccessful. I have quite a lot of issues with breathing and sleeping. It means that on away trips I struggle - on the first night in particular - to get any sleep at all,” he said. “In a different environment, or different temperatures – for example I can get quite bunged up, particularly if it gets cold.'
During the rest period, he has allowed his mind to consider the very hostile environment he will be thrown into in November if he continues to churn out the runs in the interim. “Just watching the India-Australia series, some of the spells Pat Cummins was bowling, some of the more experienced, the best batsmen in the world were being tested. You could see from the body language that it was a challenge. It will be the same for me but I have just got to back my skills, and the most important thing is to find a way to get through it,” he said.
Hameed's approach is not exclusively consigned to the present. In a fledgling career, he is yet to be subjected to such extreme pace as the Ashes examination threatens, although he cites the infamous duel between his fellow Lancastrian Michael Atherton and Allan Donald, of South Africa, when he was still in nappies, as a comparison.
“It's exactly the sort of thing you play the game for. It's a highly intimidating situation, I would say, and I don't think you should shy away from that, to be honest. It's no use saying 'it's going to be fine' because it is going to be challenging. But you have got to relish it, I think. The best players that do combat it are those that look forward to it and actually find a way of getting in the battle and backing their skills to come out on top,” Hameed added.
s of play you want to get involved in and it's why Test cricket is still the pinnacle of the game.'
