The ongoing second Indian Premier League would have been the ideal platform to prove his mettle in the shortest format of the game, believes Pakistan's seasoned leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
"It would have been the ideal platform to dismiss this impression that I cannot play Twenty20 cricket," Kaneria said before leaving for England last night for another season with Essex.
"I have been doing well for Essex in this format for the last two years and this year also I will try to impress in the few Twenty20 games due in May," he said.
Kaneria was among the five Pakistani players for this year's IPL auction but was advised by the government not to travel to India following the strained relationship between both the countries.
Only the second Hindu to play Test cricket for Pakistan, Kaneria saw a big role for leg-spinners in Twenty20 cricket and pointed out the stellar shows of both Anil Kumble and Shane Warne to buttress his point.
Named in Pakistan's list of 30 players for the Twenty20 World Cup, Kaneria exuded confidence of making it to the playing XI when the tournament gets underway in England in June, saying his Essex experience would stand him in good stead.
"I think if I do well for Essex in Twenty20 and one-day cricket then this experience of mine should be a big plus point when the selectors sit down to finalise the Twenty20 squad," he said.
Kaneria said Pakistan captain Younis Khan had advised him to keep working hard on his bowling and fielding for Twenty20 cricket and one-day cricket and not to give up hope of playing in these forms of the sport for Pakistan.
"Younis had a long chat with me and it has raised my morale and I am going to prove the selectors wrong that I cannot be useful for the country in the Twenty20 World Cup in England," he added.
