da doce： Pakistan’s Under-19 captain talks about growing as a young cricketer in the country, similarities with Ravindra Jadeja, and working with Viv Richards in the PSL

da bet7k： Shashank Kishore in Whangarei15-Jan-2018How did cricket captivate you?My father played veterans cricket in Karachi, so I used to accompany him to the grounds as a small kid. That’s how my interest grew. I started playing as a 12-year-old at the National Bank cricket academy. From there, I progressed to the academy’s Under-16 and Under-19 sides. That’s how it all started.What are the challenges a young cricketer faces in Pakistan?There are plenty of challenges because of the number of people who compete for those 15 spot in such a big country, which is huge. You have to always be a step ahead of the others, so competition is a good thing.Did you have to choose between cricket and studies at all?Initially, I tried to balance both, but when I started playing professionally, it became increasingly difficult to manage both. There came a stage where the hours spent at cricket was much more than in the classroom, so that’s when I took a call. I’ve done O levels in commerce. It’s conducted by Oxford University and is equivalent to completing your eleventh grade. Next is the A level, which I haven’t managed to do because I haven’t had time at home.

At Quetta Gladiators, I was in the same team as Kevin Pietersen, and Sir Viv Richards was a mentor. It was a great feeling. I’d watched his video. He’s fearless on and off the field, speaks his mind, and that’s the attitude he wanted all of us to carry: be free, positive and just enjoy our cricket.

Were your parents supportive of your decision?My father played sport and is fond of cricket, but he had a regular day job. He wanted one of his three sons to play cricket for Pakistan. He tried to train my two older brothers, but they didn’t show keen interest in the game. One of my brothers has a regular job, while my second brother joined my father in his towel business, following his retirement after working for a long time in the textile industry.Your bowling action – the loading, run-up and release – is very similar to Ravindra Jadeja. Is that how it has always been?It’s my natural action, yes. A lot of people have told me it is very similar to his, but it’s just a coincidence, I guess. The difference, though, is he has a lot of variations and I’m still working on it. His lengths and use of angles is fantastic, I’ve watched that and am learning. Hopefully, I can continue to do that. I consider myself a bowling allrounder, give my left-arm spin a lot of priority. But both areas are important and I’m working hard in both departments.Who did you admire while growing up?Initially, it used to be Shahid Afridi, because he used to do a lot of bowling, batting and was an excellent fielder. Then, I was inspired by Sarfraz Ahmed. He plays for the same team – Karachi. I’ve been fascinated by his steadfastness. I’ve seen how he’s fought through the ups and downs in his career. That has been really inspiring.PCB/PSLTell us about your PSL stint.Any young cricketer dreams of playing with international cricketers of repute. At Quetta Gladiators, I was in the same team as Kevin Pietersen, and Sir Viv Richards was a mentor. It was a great feeling. I’d watched his video. He’s fearless on and off the field, speaks his mind, and that’s the attitude he wanted all of us to carry: be free, positive and just enjoy our cricket. I forged good friendships with Rilee Roussouw and Luke Wright. It’s been real fun.How was the interaction with Wasim Akram during your camp in Australia?When a cricketer of his stature speaks to the team, that is alone enough to boost your confidence. He spoke to all the bowlers, shared his experiences of bowling on different pitches. A lot of them had questions to him, he answered them patiently. It was a great gesture to spend some time with us.How does the Under-19 team bond together off the field?We go out for lunches and dinners together. This is a beautiful part of the world, we try and see a bit of the place. Otherwise, we meet in someone’s room and just have the usual chit-chat.What do you do in your free time back home in Karachi, when away from cricket?Nothing specific, but these days I spend less time at home, so I try and catch up with family and friends. Otherwise, I’m mostly sleeping at home (laughs).Do you intend to complete your commerce degree?I’ve been thinking about it, but it has only remained in my thoughts. I haven’t been able to convert those into actions. But I want to have a degree. Hopefully, I will be able to finish it.