Australia Cricket Shane Warne Understudy: AU to Get Pakistan’s Usman Qadir for Spinner
Fawad Ahmed was the most recent transfer to the Aussie cricket squad following a shift in immigration and visa policy by the Australian government. He was from Pakistan and was designated to play as a leg-spinner but he was too preoccupied with playing for his national side, cite media reports.
Australia's cricket squad is now preparing to place another Pakistani spinner on the roster. His name is Usman Qadar, the son of prominent leg-spinner Abdul Qadar, a legendary player for the Pakistani squad touted to be the best leg spinner to play the game.
Usman, who is just 19, played for Adelaide at the club level. He also played in the South Australia future league, grabbing the attention of coaches. Usman's stellar performance at the league was his gateway to stardom.
The Aussie side has been struggling to find wrist spinners after the retirement of Shane Warne, who is coaching in India.
Though Usman is an established player, it is surprising to note that he has not played a first class game in test cricket. Acting on rumours of Australia's desire to place Usman on their team, the Pakistan Cricket Board took swift action by including young Usman in a test squad for a tour of West Indies in July, reported Pakistan Today.
Jamie Cox, the South Australia Director of Cricket told the Sydney Morning Herald, “He (Usman) has shown some interest (in representing Australia) but I also know he’s of significant interest in his home system, we’re pretty much tip-toeing our way through our options from here.”
Cox was quoted as saying, “We’ve left the conversation very open but we’ve made it clear to him that if he’s going to come back here again we’re going to want more of a commitment.”
He added, “He hasn’t come out and said ‘if you can do this and that, then I’m yours’. I think he’s still very much considering it from what I can gather but he’s also very much in [Pakistan's] eyes as well. We’ve sort of left it in Ussy’s hands.”
Usman told a local website in Pakistan in December, “I have been offered to play for Australia, but have not decided on that. I’ve left the final decision in my father’s hands.”