From Lyari to Zimbabwe

The Express Tribune peeks into bowler Ghulam Mudassar’s journey to the Pakistan A side

KARACHI: Almost every kid in Pakistan dreams of representing the national cricket team one day. And while many of those dreams remain unfulfilled, only a lucky few get to tread on the path leading to the national side. And medium pacer Ghulam Mudassar, who has been included in the Pakistan A squad for the tour of Zimbabwe, is one of those lucky few.

Hailing from the small, yet densely-populated locality of Lyari in Karachi, the 17-year-old caught the eyes of the selectors during Pakistan’s premier domestic first-class tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, last year. His 31 wickets in eight matches for Karachi Whites were enough to impress the national selection committee and Mudassar has since been a part of the PCB’s plans.

But while Mudassar is now closer to donning the national colours than ever before, his path has not been easy and he had to work hard to get to where he is, even working as a ball-boy for his academy, Fakharuddin Baloch Cricket Academy, before earning a spot in Pakistan A’s squad.



“At one point I didn’t have any money to afford professional training but, passionate as I was about the sport, I even worked as a ball-boy to get a chance to practice with professional cricketers in the nets,” said Mudassar.

His bowling impressed the management at the academy and he was picked to represent the side at a local tournament and it was during that tournament in 2011 that Mudassar was picked by Alamgir Gymkhana Club, the club from where he got selected for Karachi Whites.

Recalling how he came to realise his passion for the sport, Mudassar said: “I have been playing cricket since I was five years old. I used to get up early in the morning and would spend all day playing cricket. It was then I realised, when some of my teammates, who were older than me, started selecting me in their teams, that I have something special.”



Cricket came easily to Mudassar but chances to play didn’t. His mother, looking out for her child’s future, was against the idea of him pursuing a career in the sport.

“My mother did not like that I played cricket all day; she wanted me to focus on my studies,” said Mudassar, who recently passed his matriculation exam. “But when I did not listen, she made a deal with me that she would only allow me to play if I washed my T-shirts myself every day, especially since she had to do all the household chores herself.”



Mudassar, who idolises the great Wasim Akram and Aqib Javed, also got another dream fulfilled when he was selected by the latter for Lahore Qalandars during the recently-concluded trials in Lahore. “Javed bhai called me up and asked me to appear for the trials. He has been my idol, along with Wasim Akram, so it was an amazing feeling for me. I went to Lahore, got myself registered and thankfully, got selected [for Lahore Qalandars] as well,” he said.

The youngster now aims to give his best for the country and hopes to make his way into the national side in the near future. For now, he is relishing the moment when Pakistan’s national anthem would play in Zimbabwe as Pakistan A commence their tour of the African nation, which includes five one-day and two four-day matches, from Friday.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2016.

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