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Abdul Haq clean-bowled three Pakistan batsmen in the nets in Abu Dhabi. —AFP Photo
ABU BHABI: Talented Abu Dhabi-based pace bowler Abdul Haq has been invited by Pakistan Manager Intikhab Alam to the National Cricket Academy after an impressive display of fast bowling in the nets. The 25-year-old six feet tall pacer hails from the Mir Ali region in Pakistan’s tribal region of South Waziristan and represents Abu Dhabi Gymkhana in the local league.
For his day job, Haq drives heavy-duty trucks for a construction company the emirate.
Haq impressed Pakistan coach Waqar Younis and assistant coach Aaqib Javed during the net sessions with Pakistan team before the second Test at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium.
“I am happy that I got the opportunity to bowl at Pakistan batsmen in the nets and clean bowled Misbah-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat and Adnan Akmal,” he told reporters and thanked Pakistan team officials for inviting him to Pakistan Cricket Board’s National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
“I had a great passion for the game and wanted to play at the top level. Who knows I may get a break for Pakistan,” Haq said.
The six feet tall fast bowler has only been playing 50-over matches in the United Arab Emirates’ A-division league and has not had the chance to play first-class level four-day matches.
Failing to earn a decent living in his native South Waziristan, Haq moved to Abu Dhabi for a change of fortunes.
“If I am lucky enough I may play for Pakistan.”
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On DawnNews
Comments (44) Closed
Nov 22, 2010 07:03pm
One must not and cannot afford to miss the jewels like Abdul Haq for the sake of the quality of the game.
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Nov 22, 2010 07:24pm
Excellent article, we should promote people like Haq and many others.
They don't only have talent in them they have a heart to play as well.
Which our country and what this team needed.
I am sure if he is given a change he will blossom like Amer and alike. InshaAllah
Wish you all the best :)
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Nov 22, 2010 08:21pm
P.S. Time to drop Misbah, farhat and adnan akmal if they get bowled by a new comer.
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Nov 22, 2010 09:36pm
Well done Abdul Haq.
People of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Baltistan and Baluchistan are naturally blessed with fit & muscular bodies and great physical staminas; probably because of their every day hardwork of gruelling their landscape. There is real sports talent there. I have seen scores of boys hailing from those areas studying at public schools of Pakistan, to be outstanding sportsman. Peopole who matter in sports should launch camps in these areas to look for real talent and groom them for 2012 olympics in field sports.
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Nov 22, 2010 10:03pm
Good. My free advice to abdul haq is that he should attend cricket academy while on leave as nobody knows when will he get the chance to play for pakistan. Another free advice to waqar younis is that please get his bowling action checked well in advance....so no worries later on.
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Nov 22, 2010 09:59pm
Great news, for PAK cric, hope another star in the making ......
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Nov 22, 2010 10:23pm
Just goes to show it's really difficult in Pakistan to get to be noticed in cricket.
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Nov 22, 2010 11:37pm
Abdul haq My prayers with you ,One advise I wanted to give you Inshallah when you get a chance to play for pakistan remember to enjoy the game with honesty and dignity and stay away from bad guys ,Thats what your country expect from you Inshallah you be a super star.God bless you and long live PAKISTAN.
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Nov 23, 2010 12:35am
Abdul Haq got by luck got a chance to Impress the pacer ,But still there are alot of them Playing in streets. Craze of cricket is diverted from big cities to rural areas .PCB must initiate programs to encourage game over there and ficilitate them with playgrounds.
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Nov 23, 2010 02:33am
he must be given chance and honestly fecilitated .
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Nov 23, 2010 02:28am
Surely I am happy for him but don't we have enough quality bowlers already. wouldn't it be nice to bump into a quality batsman for a change :))
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Nov 23, 2010 07:33am
I am happy for Abdul Haq, at least he was at a venue where he got noticed and invited to the cricket academy in Lahore. This goes to show if a player cannot afford to play at a half way decent club anywhere, there is very little chance of him being noticed by the scouts. There is plenty of talents on the streets in Pakistan, that can never, and will never be at the right place at the right time for our scouts to notice.
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Nov 23, 2010 08:21am
Thank you Dawn for putting this up. We need cricket scouts like they have for soccer in UK, if you look at most of the players in afghanistan team, most of them hail from Pakistan, and they performed so well, alot of guys are not getting this chance.A truck driver had gone un-noticed if he was not playing in abu dhabi gymkhana, Pakistan is full of such talent but due to politics in the game and corruption, alot of guys do not get picked. PCB needs to stop "eating" and start doing the search from the grass root level. For God sake do something good for a change.
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Nov 23, 2010 08:36am
Must give this guy a chance. He can make wonders.
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Nov 23, 2010 09:06am
its good he should get a chance but what about those who are playing through proper process and not get noticed.
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Nov 23, 2010 09:41am
Lets keep our fingers crossed and see how the emerging star performs at the ground. Thumbs up for you Haq.
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Nov 23, 2010 10:08am
hope he will be considered for the team & he will not be the part of team politics.
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Nov 23, 2010 10:39am
All The Best Abdul Haq !
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Nov 23, 2010 10:58am
Both Waqar and Aqib are the big guns in bowling and if they are sure about the talent of Abdul Haq, no one can doubt about his ability now we shall pray for Abdul Haq to be part our national team.
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Nov 23, 2010 12:53pm
All the Best for Abdul Haq. and hope to see u soon in the Pakistan Team.
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Nov 23, 2010 01:13pm
please i m requesting to dawn news do something for great talent Muhammad Aamir .media have got great power if they do something
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Nov 23, 2010 01:24pm
This is the right way to hunt talent as it was once done by Imran khan in hunting Waqr yunis while he was playing for a local club team and being watched by Imran khan at TV and the later immediatly went to the ground and chose him for his team.
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Nov 23, 2010 01:46pm
Please keep him away from all match fixers.
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Nov 23, 2010 03:07pm
Every pakistani needs good opportunities in life, be it sports, work, education or other facets of life. Good luck young man. Long live pakistan.
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Nov 23, 2010 06:36pm
Excellent work by the team management and good luck for the lanky pacer. If the selectors move out of mega cities, they will find many more jewels waiting helplessly for their chance. Unfortunately, this is our system (or no system for that matter) which is causing our down slide. Let us hope that this precedence set by management proves to be the first drop of rain and good work continues, till we reach top of the ladder and cement our place there.
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Nov 23, 2010 08:32pm
I hope PCB authorities will give chance to this talent and also there is a lesson in this time when every body is frustated and adisappointment prevail all arround that one should not leave struggle and try for the best . There isbig potential inour nation.
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Nov 23, 2010 10:01pm
Pakistan need fast bowler like Haq, he should participate in pak team. good luck mr.Haq.
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Nov 23, 2010 11:57pm
Abdul haq that is time to show to the world we are honest pakistanis.Good Abdulhaq , Good luck Pakistan@
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Nov 24, 2010 01:14am
Goes to show that only talented and dedicated people like Waqar Younis, Aaqib Javed and Intikhab Alam can appreciate talent and help Pakistan cricket. T
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Nov 24, 2010 02:09am
I hope this hard working guy gets a chance to prove his metal and change the fortunes of his family. I wish him best of luck
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Nov 24, 2010 02:21am
best of luck abdul haq...you have a great chance to show your self in front of d world....and represnt pakistan crkt team inshalah......
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Nov 24, 2010 04:31am
thanks to Allah Almighty that a second star after shahid afridi from tribal areas of pakistan is going to join pak team and inshallah, bring good name to the country as well as our militancy-ravaged areas..
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Nov 24, 2010 08:35am
Mate how do you know? Have you seen him bowl at all?
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Nov 24, 2010 10:02am
hmmm agreed
add:
Muhammad Irfan . . . . .
Abdul Haq . . . . . .
Good Luck
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Nov 24, 2010 10:16am
definitely he also have to IMPRESS Butt sb for selection in national team
; )
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Nov 24, 2010 10:29am
ok great and good Luck to Abdul Haq
Wasim bhai found Muhammad Irfan
Waqar & Aqib Bhai Foud Abdul Haq
and all three Bhai s' found Imran Khan
hmm
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Nov 24, 2010 12:25pm
We should hire the players just based on their actual performance+ honesty and loyalty with the Country,Pakistan.I pray for the success of Mr. Abdul haq.May he be faithfull to our country, Pakistan. Allah Hafiz.
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Nov 24, 2010 01:53pm
I really admire this fact that many bowllers in Pakistan were brought from no where to Pakistan's National Team. Waqar Younis was one of the players taken from Street right in Pak's National Team.
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Nov 24, 2010 03:02pm
We are happy on it that for the first time I saw that Cricket greats showed to pick a player by observing his performances in the field.
I would like to tell that our selectors should visit the far-flung fields of the unfortunate country regularly to search players like Abdul Haq. There is no dearth of talents in the long last neglected areas of Pukhtunkhwa.
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Nov 24, 2010 05:18pm
very good news for us if a new star is found .pls waqar/and intikhab sahib if u can try to groom and teach him.good luck to pakistan cricket...allah hafiz
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Nov 24, 2010 07:24pm
Both a good batsman and a good bowler are needed and aught to be taken care of without any exclusiveness.
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Nov 27, 2010 08:35pm
best of luck.
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Nov 28, 2010 09:21am
I wish we can get some detail like Abdul Haq and many others.
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Nov 30, 2010 11:14am
What is the current status of Abdul Haq or if PCB made an emotional statement while in UAE to call him at NCA. I did not read Misbah or Intekhab Alam recognizing him in the post tour press conference where everything else was acknowledged.
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