Ahmed Daniyal on his debut:
"First of all, all praise and thanks to Allah that my name came up for the Pakistan team debut. I actually found out yesterday — Mike Hesson was the one who told me first. He said, 'Prepare yourself, you might be playing tomorrow.'"
"He came back a little later and confirmed it, saying, 'You are playing tomorrow, so be ready.' The happiness I felt in that moment is something I honestly can’t put into words. The excitement was overwhelming. The first thing I did was call my mother, because of all the prayers she makes for me."
"In fact, everyone in my family prays for me. But my mother — she has always prayed the hardest for this moment. And Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), that moment has come today. It feels like all those prayers are being answered as I get to make my debut for Pakistan. My family is overjoyed — and I’m also very, very excited."
"I started from street cricket and gradually worked my way up. I had a close group of friends — if I count them, about eight to ten of us — we all used to play in the same team. We played tournaments together for five to seven years. Even now, if I want to join in, they call me to play on Sundays. Those same eight to ten guys are the ones with whom I’ve shared the strongest cricket bond."
"It was always a dream of mine to play for Pakistan, Insha’Allah. But unfortunately, in 2022, I suffered a shoulder injury. It took me around five to six months to recover. It was a tough phase, but I never gave up. I always believed — in myself and in Allah — that if I kept working hard, one day I would represent Pakistan."
"As I mentioned earlier, my mother, my siblings, their prayers — they’ve all supported me. But especially my father — may Allah grant him paradise — he always stood by me. He never stopped me from playing. He would come to watch my matches, follow my performance everywhere — how I was playing, what people were saying about me. He had faith that I could make it."
"He used to tell me, 'Leave tape-ball cricket. Play hard ball — you can make it to the next level.' No matter how far I had to travel, how late I came home, he never objected. He only encouraged me to keep pursuing my cricket seriously."
"It was always his wish to see me play for Pakistan. Alhamdulillah, today is that moment — but the one thing missing is his presence beside me today."
"I want to dedicate this debut, these prayers, and everything to my father. The time he invested in me, the support, the belief — this is all because of him and my mother. Alhamdulillah, whatever I am today, it’s because of their efforts and blessings."
"There’s a dialogue I still remember — my father once said, 'I want to see you on the big screen, on TV. That’s my dream.' Four months after he passed away, I was selected for the Pakistan team. That memory always stays with me — Allah fulfilled his wish even after he was gone."
"We had a 25-day camp in Lahore where we worked heavily on our skills and preparation. After that, we had an official 8 to 10-day camp in Karachi. We played several practice matches and focused a lot on development. Alhamdulillah, we are well prepared for the series against Bangladesh."
"My hope is that I make my debut today, help my team win, and become Player of the Match — so I can dedicate it to my father. All the players here, I know them well, it’s a great environment."
"Everyone here supports each other. If someone is stuck, the rest come in to help. It’s a very friendly and positive environment. To my family, I’d just say: keep praying like this. Insha’Allah, if Allah wills, I’ll keep playing for Pakistan."
"To my friends — keep supporting me. This journey has just started, Insha’Allah, and may it continue to grow."
"My goal regarding pace has always been to prepare myself so well that I can get close to — or even break — 161 km/h. Recently, I’ve started consistently bowling around 150 km/h, and my aim now is to maintain that pace and go even higher. Insha’Allah, one day, I want to be the fastest bowler out there."
