Events like SLPL are great for professional development of players, says Pak all rounder

Karachi, Sept. 2 : Pakistan all-rounder Fawad Alam, who participated in the recently held Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL), has said such events are great for the professional development of players.

"In my view, such events are great for professional development of players - it''s a good learning experience for any cricketer, whether new or experienced. They allow you to experience the intricacies and pressures similar to those of international cricket," Pak Passion quoted Alam, as saying.

"It''s obviously a great opportunity for the players to feature in such high profile tournaments, especially because T20 is a popular format. Playing these tournaments and performing well in them also helps you get noticed by the national selectors," he added.

The SLPL came to a close on Friday with Uva Next edging past the Nagenahira Nagas by 19 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in the rain-affected final at Colombo. In addition to winning the much-desired trophy, Uva Next also earned a place in the Champions League T20 to be played in South Africa later this year.

A number of Pakistani cricketers, including all rounder Shoaib Malik, fast bowler Umar Gul and allrounder Hammad Azam were members of the SLPL-winning squad.

Alam, 26, has 24 T20 International appearances under his belt and has featured in each of the three ICC T20 World Cup tournaments held so far. He last represented Pakistan in December 2010 in a T20I against New Zealand at Auckland, where he could only manage a score of 9 and has been overlooked since.