T20 Cricket World Cup 2021: Pakistani Stars Who Didn't Let Poverty Be A Barrier To Hobby
A video of former Pakistani cricket team league sniper Mushtaq Ahmed came to light some time ago which highlighted the fact that being poor is not a crime. In this video, Mushtaq Ahmed openly stated about his life that he himself belonged to a poor family.
A family that lived in a one-room house. His father used to work as a laborer in Sahiwal's grain market.
Mushtaq Ahmed says that he was obsessed with cricket but due to poverty he had to play without shoes which injured his legs. He also remembers the time when his father somehow collected money and brought bats and other things so that he could play cricket proper.
"There were times when my mother told my siblings to eat less so that your father could also eat, to which my father used to say that I came from outside to eat. They did not know how many nights they spent without food so that their children would not go to bed hungry.
This video of Mushtaq Ahmed actually highlights the traumatic situation that most of our cricketers go through. The video also shows the sacrifices of the elders of the cricketers who went through so many hardships to fulfill their children's passion.
Former star cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed about his parents. ♥️ pic.twitter.com/A4hmJzg81r
— Shah (@warwounded__) October 30, 2021
Stories of past players
The story of former Pakistan cricket team all-rounder Abdul Razzaq is no less interesting. The son of a factory worker living in Shahdara had started dreaming of becoming a great cricketer when he started playing cricket in his street.
One day, despite strong opposition from his family, he turned to Gaddafi Stadium, where the Under-19 trials were taking place. Until then, they did not even know what a B form and birth certificate is, so Iqbal Qasim and Haroon Rasheed, who took the trials, had no choice but to send this talented young man to Shaukat Khanum Hospital for a bone test to test his age.
Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf used to work in a tailor's shop but his original style was hidden in his stylish batting which was seen and appreciated by the world.
Even among the current cricketers we see many names who started their journey from villages and remote areas and now the world is singing their names.
The stories of the boys in the current team
League sniper Shadab Khan hails from Kamar Mashani area of Mianwali. His father worked in Saudi Arabia for 35 years. Shadab Khan's family moved from Mianwali to Rawalpindi so that his elder brother Mehtab Khan could not only study in Pindi but also pursue a passion for cricket.
Until then, Shadab Khan had no interest in cricket but he loved football, which can be gauged from the fact that he was also selected in WAPDA's under-17 football team.
Shadab Khan used to go to cricket matches with his elder brother but he was only fielded when needed. Despite the uneven ground, Shadab Khan used to field surprisingly well.
He even used to injure his legs while hitting dives, but this enthusiasm became his hallmark in fielding and now he is seen as an active fielder in international cricket.
The case of Shadab Khan joining Islamabad United in the second edition of Pakistan Super League is also very interesting. He was taken in the supplementary category and when the management of Islamabad United approached him to measure his wicket, he still could not believe that the cricketers in the supplementary category would also travel abroad with the team.
Wasim Akram, who took a first look at Shadab Khan's talent, could not help but be impressed. When he saw Shadab Khan practicing at the Dubai Cricket Academy, he said, "What's the matter?" This boy can do everything
Another incident of Shadab Khan's simplicity which his friends tell him that after winning the Champions Trophy he got a new car and for the first time he got in it and left Pindi for Lahore but the car stopped on the way.
He called his brother and complained that he had bought a new car which had stopped running. Then I called a friend but no one understood what was wrong. Finally, they were asked if petrol was delivered. It turned out that Shadab Khan had not thought of taking petrol before embarking on such a long journey.
Fast bowler Hassan Ali, who hails from Ladhewala Waraich, a village near Gujranwala, is also an important name in the Pakistani team from a similar background.
He played cricket in the streets and participated in regional under-16 competitions. He then went to Lahore and played grade two cricket for the Syed Papers team and then this journey took him from first class cricket to the first Pakistan Super League when Peshawar Zalmi included him in the emerging category.
Hassan Ali's brother Ata-ur-Rehman has been instrumental in furthering his passion for cricket.
Hassan Ali had told in an interview that he also used to play kabaddi but his elder brother did not let his passion for cricket end and today he is at the place where he is. Hard work and interest are very important.
Hassan Ali introduced himself in a short time. He was named the best cricketer of the Champions Trophy in 2017, which is why he was awarded the ICC's Emerging Player of the Year award and also topped the ICC World ODI Rankings.
The story of Harris Rauf, another Pakistani fast bowler, also shows his passion for the game. He was a salesman at a shop in Rawalpindi and at the same time fulfilled his hobby by playing cricket with tape ball.
This hobby took him from Rawalpindi to Gujranwala one day where he was selected by coach Aqib Javed in the trials under the Rising Stars program of Lahore Qalandars and said that this bowler is the superstar of the days to come. He was then sent to Australia under the Talent Development Program, where the doors of the Big Bash opened on him.
Be it fast bowlers Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Irfan and Anwar Ali or Asif Ali, who is known for hitting sixes in the current team, all these cricketers have been working in factories to meet their household expenses.
Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dhani used to help his father and brother in farming in a village in Sindh. Respecting his father's wishes, he did work but chose cricket instead of becoming a government official. When he went for the under-19 trials in the Larkana region, he had neither shoes nor socks. All this was provided to him by his friend.
He says conditions were not good when he was playing cricket there. He was well aware that it was not possible for him to play big cricket in North Waziristan so he turned to Peshawar and rented a house with his friends. When he expressed his intention to go to Peshawar, his father strongly objected, but at this stage his uncle helped to persuade him.
Pakistan's left-arm sniper Zafar Gohar hails from Lahore. He has been obsessed with cricket since he was 12 years old. Former Test cricketer Shafqat Rana mentions that the boy used to come to his cricket academy from Batapur area by changing three buses daily. No matter how hot it was, he always arrived at the academy ahead of time and surprised everyone.
Shafqat Rana says that the financial condition of Zafar Gohar's house was not good so they used to help him only so that he would not ask for money from his father and he could not give it due to compulsion and Let his passion stop.