I simply wanted to hit the ball hard: Yusuf Pathan

Kolkata: On a high after smashing the fastest fifty in the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Yusuf Pathan slammed his critics saying that they had no clue as to how hard he works.

“People don’t know what all I’m doing to achieve all these things. It’s their job to criticise, they are getting paid for that and I’m being paid for playing and doing my duty. Everybody is doing their job,” Yusuf said responding to the outpouring criticism.

“Whatever they may say, I know what I’m doing to achieve. I’m clear about what do I want and I know my ability. I know how much can I score in an over and the hard work I put in to make those 20 runs in an over.”

“I know how much I work hard in nets and in free time when there’re no matches. I just keep backing myself. It’s like being well prepared before an exam. I don’t care about what people say,” the senior of the Pathan brothers said in the post-match presser.

The misfiring Baroda all-rounder, who was bought by KKR in a $2.1 million deal, paid back the faith blasting a 22-ball 72 to help his team chase down Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 161 in 14.2 overs and storm into Qualifier one by knocking off Chennai Super Kings from the second spot on net run rate.

KKR needed to chase down the target in 15.2 overs and when Yusuf came in, the equation was 106 from 47 balls as SRH let off the big hitter by dropping on 0 and 16.

Yusuf said he forgot what he ate for lunch but he did not skip his captain Gautam Gambhir’s instructions. “We always thought of making the Qualifier 1 and play here as we would get two chances of playing the final (in the play-off). I wanted my team to play freely so I was just backing myself up. I followed Gautam’s instruction.

“I did not think much, we just had to score 80-odd runs from 36 balls. The only thing going in my mind was to hit the ball,” he added.