''Snubbed'' Pak all-rounder Rana Naved rules out international retirement

Karachi, May 22 : Pakistan cricketer Rana Navedul Hasan, has announced that he still has at least two more years of cricket left in him, ruling out international retirement despite continuous snubs by the national selection committee.

Naved was banned for a year from the national team after the team''s winless tour of Australia in February 2010. Although the ban was lifted in October that year, the all-rounder has not been considered for national duty, and the latest of the snubs came when he was overlooked for all three formats for Pakistan''s tour of Sri Lanka.

"I was expecting to be in the mix on the tour, but was distraught to find out that it wasn''t the case," The Express Tribune quoted Naved, as saying.

"But despite the repeated overlooking, I''m in no mood of throwing in the towel, because I can still play at the top level for at least two years and will work hard to play for Pakistan again," he added.

Naved, however, admitted that he has given up hopes of playing five-day matches.

"As far as Test cricket goes, my career is finished, and, I don''t see myself playing Tests for Pakistan again. But I still have the required fitness to excel in Twenty20s and one-day internationals," he said.

Naved however, has been making waves in domestic events all over the world, including Friends Life T20, Faysal Bank T20 Cup, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Big Bash.

"My performances all over the word speak for themselves. If I had lost touch with cricket, or wasn''t good enough to be playing, I wouldn''t have been doing so well in these events all over the world against quality opposition," he said.

"Also, there is time before Pakistan''s 2012 World Twenty20 squad is announced. I am looking to do well for Derbyshire in June (in the Twenty20 event) to stake my claims for a place in the squad. Hopefully, I''ll get one more chance to represent Pakistan," he added.

The all-rounder has played nine Tests for Pakistan, scoring 239 runs with a best of 42, while also taking 18 wickets at an average of 58.