Ajaz Patel opens up on his journey with Team NZ
Ajaz Patel, the 35-year-old New Zealand spinner, has expressed his determination to seize opportunities and enhance his skills. Despite not being the first-choice spinner for home games, the left-arm spinner has made a significant impact in subcontinent matches. The left-arm spinner shared these insights during a press conference in Greater Noida, ahead of the inaugural Test against Afghanistan. Here are further details.
Patel's hunger for subcontinent tours
Patel acknowledged the challenges faced by New Zealand spinners due to limited game time at home. However, he emphasized that this situation fuels their hunger to perform in spin-friendly conditions like the subcontinent. "But it breeds more hunger when you do come to conditions like this and you know conditions that are spin-friendly," he said.
Patel's historic performance and future aspirations
Patel joined the ranks of Jim Laker and Anil Kumble as only the third bowler to take 10 wickets in an innings, a feat he achieved at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium in December 2021. Despite going wicketless in his next Test at Lord's, he bounced back with a strong performance against Pakistan. Now, Patel is focusing on minor tweaks to his action for a consistent run in the upcoming Test season.
Patel to work with Sri Lankan legend Rangana Herath
Patel will have the opportunity to collaborate with Sri Lankan cricket legend Rangana Herath, who has joined New Zealand's backroom staff for the one-off Test. "If you look at me and you look at Rangana, we're pretty similar in terms of our build and body types," said Patel. He expressed his excitement about the upcoming matches and sees them as a "great opportunity" to play six Tests.
58 of Patel's 62 wickets have come in Asia
In 16 Tests, Patel owns 62 wickets at 29.75 with four five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket haul. His best bowling figure in an innings read 10/119. As per ESPNcricinfo, 58 of his wickets have come in Asia at 28.58.
