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[EXCLUSIVE] "I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with Jason Gillespie again": Mir Hamza

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Mir Hamza has been a force to reckon with in first-class cricket. He has played 114 matches with a bowling average of 22.82 and a brilliant economy of 2.89 rpo, but yet he has only managed to play 5 matches at the international level.

This year, he displayed an impressive performance during Pakistan's Test tour of Australia, where he took 7 wickets in 2 games, and his economy rate of 2.29 made him the most economical bowler of the series. He also showcased his potential in the white-ball format, where he took 10 wickets in 7 matches for the Karachi Kings in PSL 9.

Mir Hamza joins PakPassion for an exclusive interview with Saj, where he discusses his current stint playing for Glamorgan in the County Championship, reflects on his performances in Australia and in the PSL, and shares his aspirations to continue representing his country. He also provides some interesting remarks on Mohammad Amir's comeback to international cricket and shares his thoughts on Jason Gillespie's appointment as head coach for Pakistan's Test team.

Watch the entire interview with Saj below:


 
He is right that we should take cricket as cricket to enjoy it, and I think Mir Hamza can be successful in ODIs. But T20Is are not his cup of tea because in PSL 9, his bowling average was 22.30 and in modern day T20 cricket it should be less than 20.
 
FearlessRoar said:
He is right that we should take cricket as cricket to enjoy it, and I think Mir Hamza can be successful in ODIs. But T20Is are not his cup of tea because in PSL 9, his bowling average was 22.30 and in modern day T20 cricket it should be less than 20.
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Considering zaman khan gets selected and has made it a habit of giving freebies, I'd take mir Hamza or Ali over zaman any day.

Infact mir hamaza amd Ali > Rauf and hasan Ali easily. No contest or question.
 
He has such a great attitude.

No rona dhona

Complete opposite of so many of our cricketers.

Am glad he will get to work with Gillespie.
 
His best quality is that he keeps it tight. Naseem, Rauf, Shaheen spray it all around and give away too many runs. Mir is the only bowler in the country who can bowl like Hazlewood in the sense that 9/10 balls will be bowled with pin-point accuracy. He holds one end really well and I think he is unfortunate not to be given a go in the T20 format.
 
Mir Hamza is rested for this game and will be replaced by another overseas player, the world-renowned batter Marnus Labuschagne, who has returned to Cardiff this week. That's why he is not playing for Glamorgan against Middlesex in the County Championship 2024.
 
Good thing is under Mr Gillespie he would be a regular starter, forseeing his entry into Pakistan white ball team soon but for T20s it looks difficult at the moment as we already have some big names there with quite some clout. So he may have to wait a bit long there. But true it would be a loss of PCT.
Asad T said:
His best quality is that he keeps it tight. Naseem, Rauf, Shaheen spray it all around and give away too many runs. Mir is the only bowler in the country who can bowl like Hazlewood in the sense that 9/10 balls will be bowled with pin-point accuracy. He holds one end really well and I think he is unfortunate not to be given a go in the T20 format.
Click to expand...
 
why cant he add 5 kph to his bowling. Even Bhuvaneshwar did it
 
Mir Hamza is most probably the regular in test cricket for me. He will be playing quite a few games after that Australia series. He should be playing more games and if he dropped early then it the loss of PCT. This guy is bowling pretty well in county cricket. Gillespie will definitely be looking towards him to be more consistent and regular in the team rather than just a replacement bowler. Expectin some more improvement from him.
 
FearlessRoar said:
A decent unbeaten knock from Mir Hamza for Glamorgan against Leicestershire in county championship 2024.

If we look at those shots with full control, it suggests he has the makings of a Test all-rounder.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1794316463844794727

https://twitter.com/x/status/1794315952638787714

​

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And he's off to a great start, taking an early wicket, bowling 2 maidens with an impressive economy rate of 3.33!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1794328904028823802
 
it's impressive that even in bazball era couty cricket, he is able to keep his economy super tight. his control is exceptional
 
Mir Hamza already making reservations in the Test side and cosying up to the coach
 
Mir Hamza speaking during an interview with Saj:

“Jason Gillespie was undoubtedly a world-class bowler, and he was part of the Australian team during an era when they dominated world cricket. I'm excited to learn about his mindset, how he approached bowling, how he maintained his fitness, and what his attitude was. I want to understand how he tried to outdo his opponents during his time.”

“I'm very excited and will try to learn from him. I've already played quite a bit of cricket under his coaching because when I was playing county cricket for Sussex, Jason Gillespie was our coach. He's a great coach, not just for bowlers but for the entire team. He understands players' psyche and tries to manage each player differently, focusing on how to make the team run and win. He's obviously a fighter, and as you know, most Australians are fighters - they try to make the team fight. So I'm quite excited for the upcoming Test series.”

 
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Sorry, as much as he may learn from Dizzy, he just is not the right calibre. Too slow for sustained success. He may have a couple of seasons like Abbas, but ultimately, will be treated like the trundler he is.

Harsh but true
 
FearlessRoar said:
Mir Hamza speaking during an interview with Saj:

“Jason Gillespie was undoubtedly a world-class bowler, and he was part of the Australian team during an era when they dominated world cricket. I'm excited to learn about his mindset, how he approached bowling, how he maintained his fitness, and what his attitude was. I want to understand how he tried to outdo his opponents during his time.”

“I'm very excited and will try to learn from him. I've already played quite a bit of cricket under his coaching because when I was playing county cricket for Sussex, Jason Gillespie was our coach. He's a great coach, not just for bowlers but for the entire team. He understands players' psyche and tries to manage each player differently, focusing on how to make the team run and win. He's obviously a fighter, and as you know, most Australians are fighters - they try to make the team fight. So I'm quite excited for the upcoming Test series.”

Click to expand...

I am also very excited about JG joining the ranks - need some hard-nosed Aussie attitude but he needs to be given some space to do as he pleases.

Great for Hamza also as he has some connection with him as well!
 
Mir Hamza speaking during a PCB interview:

"I kept performing in domestic cricket so that I could be ready to join the Pakistan team whenever there was an opportunity."

"I had worked extra hard for the tour of Australia."

"I can never forget the bowling at the Melbourne Test. I regret that we didn't win the Test."

"Bowling in Test cricket with Shaheen Afridi was a good experience. Partnerships like these are beneficial for the team."

"There are quite a few matches this season, so I will have to take great care of my fitness."

"Nothing is greater than representing Pakistan.”

"It felt good to bowl with Shaheen Afridi. The bowling at the Melbourne Test will always be remembered."

“If you want to represent your country, you have to be ready to perform time and again because nothing is greater than representing your country.”

“I was trying to bring himself close to Pakistan's top bowlers in terms of performance so that whenever there was a spot available in the Pakistan team, I could secure his place, which took quite some time.”

“It felt very good to bowl with Shaheen Shah Afridi. Shaheen gave me a lot of encouragement, saying, "You're bowling well, keep bowling like this and take wickets." Such partnerships are very important as they benefit the team.”

“In Melbourne, when Shaheen took two wickets early on, I also started thinking about taking wickets and then I took two wickets in one over. At that time, I was telling Shaheen that we should win this Test; unfortunately, we couldn't win, but as a bowling unit, our performance was very good.”

“We felt the absence of Naseem Shah during the tour of Australia; if he had been there, perhaps the result would have been different.”

“I was prepared for the tour of Australia in advance. I was told that Australian players first defeat you through fitness as their grounds are soft and big, so I worked a lot on my fitness.”

“I put extra pressure on myself in domestic matches so that I could strengthen myself mentally and physically.”

“I don't consider a Test team comeback easy however, playing continuous domestic cricket has been very beneficial to me as it brings mental strength and patience, and it helps to groom your personality, which is useful.”

“Fitness is only considered from a cricket point of view, but it is also related to your lifestyle. You have to take care of your diet and your routine. If we look at international stars, we can understand how they take care of their lifestyle.”

“The conditions in Pakistan are different from Australia; there isn't much bounce in the wickets here, but all the bowlers have been playing on these wickets for many years; these are our home grounds, so there should be no issues. However, since there are more matches this season, we will have to take great care of our fitness.”
​
 
Mir Hamza shines for Pakistan Shaheens today in the first four day match in Islamabad as he recorded impressive bowling figures of 3/33 against Bangladesh A
 
Mir Hamza Steals the Show with 5/46

His impressive bowling figures of 3/33 in the 1st innings and 2/13 in the 2nd innings helped Pakistan Shaheens dominate Bangladesh A in the 1st Four-Day match at the Islamabad Club, which ended in a draw. He has already cemented his position as a premier bowler for Pakistan in red-ball cricket.
 
Jason Gillespie hasn't picked Mir Hamza for the 1st Test against Bangladesh starting on August 21. Your thoughts on this decision?
 
Too unfortunate for Mir Hamza that he missed the wicket on his first ball today courtesy to dropping of a regulation catch by VC Saud Shakeel.
 
TheSultan said:
Did he break the 120k barrier?
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When did he bowl 150+ that we have to worry about his pace. He was never even a 140+ KPH bowler. He relies on his swing + Line&length and when you drop easy dollies, pace won't even matter.
 
Bit like Asif is Mir Hamza. 125-130 pace, good control, challenges both side of the bat, tall-ish and patient.
 
Very disciplined bowler. Will win a few overseas tests for Pakistan if given the opportunities he deserves.
 
This was out but Shan opted not to take the review. Mir Hamza denied 3 wickets now in this game so far.

xlkLtaL.jpeg
 
How well is this guy bowling? Gets his well-deserving wicket now.

First-Class experience is quite visible here
 
BouncerGuy said:
How well is this guy bowling? Gets his well-deserving wicket now.

First-Class experience is quite visible here
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He is a domestic veteran who has played a ton of first class cricket. It’s so obvious how big the gap in skill is when you compare him to Shaheen. Despite being medium pace, Hamza’s bowling IQ is 10x that of Shaheen’s.
 
Produced a gem of a delivery on the final day of the 2nd test match. Well earned wicket and Pakistan needs more from him.

Sz6RrIk.png
 
offstump said:
He is a domestic veteran who has played a ton of first class cricket. It’s so obvious how big the gap in skill is when you compare him to Shaheen. Despite being medium pace, Hamza’s bowling IQ is 10x that of Shaheen’s.
Click to expand...

Need Mir Hamzas experience, bowling iq with Shaheen's pace.
 
BouncerGuy said:
Produced a gem of a delivery on the final day of the 2nd test match. Well earned wicket and Pakistan needs more from him.

Sz6RrIk.png
Click to expand...
It was a good delivery but he's still way too slow. If only shaheen had the brains that this guy had, we'd have a modern great bowler.
 
BouncerGuy said:
What is more important to you?
Pace is pace yaar
OR
tight Line and lengths and wickets??
Click to expand...
Tight line and lengths on these type of surfaces will only get you wickets after the new ball effect if your average pace is around 138-140k at least through out the day
 
12 wickets in six Test matches for Pakistan
454 wickets in 118 first-class matches

Happy Birthday to the Left-arm pacer, Mir Hamza.
 
It's really shame to see him opening the bowling for Pakistan in test cricket. He is even slower than female crickters.

He averages over 45 now I think.

He grunts like he is bowling at Shoaib akhtar's speed.

I really really hope I never see him again in pakistan colors. It's embarrassing to watch him bowl. Sometimes ball doesn't even reach to wicketkeeper at height.
 
On a serious note, Mir Hamza could be useful to do the donkey work if played with a couple of proper pace bowlers (140+)

No medium pacer ever succeeded without proper pace bowlers with them.

We are expecting a 125k medium pacer backed up by 130-135k bowlers to revive our bowling. Delusional
 
TheSultan said:
On a serious note, Mir Hamza could be useful to do the donkey work if played with a couple of proper pace bowlers (140+)

No medium pacer ever succeeded without proper pace bowlers with them.

We are expecting a 125k medium pacer backed up by 130-135k bowlers to revive our bowling. Delusional
Click to expand...
Bro even medium pacers bowl at 131 to 135.

125 is women speed. Mir Hamza would get demolished and targeted by teams even more brutally if the rest was 140 and he was 125.

They make sure to target him
 
mominsaigol said:
Bro even medium pacers bowl at 131 to 135.

125 is women speed. Mir Hamza would get demolished and targeted by teams even more brutally if the rest was 140 and he was 125.

They make sure to target him
Click to expand...
That is true - I’ve always said there should be a minimum standard even for medium pacers. 125k is borderline domestic standard
 
TheSultan said:
That is true - I’ve always said there should be a minimum standard even for medium pacers. 125k is borderline domestic standard
Click to expand...
Pakistan needs to find pacers or tell their pacers that the selection criteria is 140 clicks minimum.

Rana wasnt bowling anything special but he dismantled Pakistan due to sheer pace.

Haris Rauf, ik people don't like him but he has always gotten the most wickets for pakistan in t20 and even in this cup was pur best bowler, The issue qith Rauf is that he has zero line and length and is bloody expensive but overall his pace gets him a wicket eventually.

120 to 135 doesn't bother anyone unless your mcgrath.

Pakistan badly fumbled Ihsanullah who imo could have become the next best thing, because unlike Rauf, Ihsanullah is not only faster but also tried to focus on improving his line and length.

A 150kph pacer who can bowl good lines on offstump channel would have been a game changer.
 
mominsaigol said:
Pakistan needs to find pacers or tell their pacers that the selection criteria is 140 clicks minimum.

Rana wasnt bowling anything special but he dismantled Pakistan due to sheer pace.

Haris Rauf, ik people don't like him but he has always gotten the most wickets for pakistan in t20 and even in this cup was pur best bowler, The issue qith Rauf is that he has zero line and length and is bloody expensive but overall his pace gets him a wicket eventually.

120 to 135 doesn't bother anyone unless your mcgrath.

Pakistan badly fumbled Ihsanullah who imo could have become the next best thing, because unlike Rauf, Ihsanullah is not only faster but also tried to focus on improving his line and length.

A 150kph pacer who can bowl good lines on offstump channel would have been a game changer.
Click to expand...
And this is the main problem with paks cricket. We are blessed that genetically, we seem to produce pacers. But our management of them is shoddy, unprofessional and expectations unrealistic.

The problem with Haris is that his accuracy will only improve the more red ball he plays and overall the amount of bowling he does. But he’s never shown that enthusiasm for red ball cricket. He even got a shot at county cricket which was cut short.

It’s probably time to accept reality. Our cricket is going nowhere for the next 5 years. At least accept the problem. Put some kind of infrastructure, developmental process and financial incentives together especially for our fast bowlers. We can then see where we are.

Let Rizwan live out his dream of Pakistan captaincy and attention for the next 5 years as tier 3 team supremo.

We’ll start looking for better results in 5 years time
 
TheSultan said:
And this is the main problem with paks cricket. We are blessed that genetically, we seem to produce pacers. But our management of them is shoddy, unprofessional and expectations unrealistic.

The problem with Haris is that his accuracy will only improve the more red ball he plays and overall the amount of bowling he does. But he’s never shown that enthusiasm for red ball cricket. He even got a shot at county cricket which was cut short.

It’s probably time to accept reality. Our cricket is going nowhere for the next 5 years. At least accept the problem. Put some kind of infrastructure, developmental process and financial incentives together especially for our fast bowlers. We can then see where we are.

Let Rizwan live out his dream of Pakistan captaincy and attention for the next 5 years as tier 3 team supremo.

We’ll start looking for better results in 5 years time
Click to expand...
It's a 20 year problem actually, I forgot to ping you earlier in the above post, Sorry for taking your credit 🫠.

But the gist of it was that you proclaimed to scrap the lot and place under 19's.

I agree qith this however pcb needs to do a few things.

A) Create proper pitches, similar to UAE or England as we need spin and seam tracks, not these phattas.

B)Create competition, A player must be dropped if a better player exists regardless of form or experience, this will motivate the young bloods to improve and get better and be the best, knowing full well that if they slip then their overnight stardom will vanish.

C) Make it clear that PSL and leagues is not a criteria foe selection, it doesn't matter how many leagues you perform in. Fc, list A and local t20 takes priority.

The new blood will get badly tortured for a few years for obvious reasons but it doesn't matter as pakistan is already a minnow now, However by the time their let's say 27? 28? They'll have had 7 to 8 year experience playing globally against top sides and they are bound to improve.

This way you've set a 20 year strong team.

This current lot is going nowhere with rizwan, but yes as you saw my comment earlier, I already agree with Brother Mamoon, Let rizzu have his Glory moment till 2027 before getting the chop
 
Mir Hamza strikes early, grabbing 2 wickets so far against Panthers in the Champions One-Day Cup 2024. He has a slow pace, but I think he has a good temperament for the longer format.
 
Solid FC bowler but not international quality, which in this moment in time is true for all our pacers. With SSA out of rhythm and zip, Naseem overweight and unfit, and the others so and so. We haven't been this weak since the 83/84 tour to Aus when IK didn't bowl
 
Mir Hamza speaking during an interview:

"I enjoy my performance most when it benefits the team."

"I'll be focusing on helping the team win the remaining matches."

“I don’t quite understand why there’s been trouble batting in the second innings. It’s not playing out as usual conditions would suggest. Perhaps the hot weather is affecting performance.”

“Performing at the top level gives me peace of mind.”

“A bowler with red-ball experience knows how to adapt to different situations and execute the right delivery at the right time.”

“I never play with the mindset of topping the charts or securing a spot. My goal is always to contribute to my team’s success. In the Champions Cup, I hope to at least win the man-of-the-match award in one of the games.”

GEOSUPER
 
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Rate him higher than peak Shaheen and Naseem.
Very good control and he can swing the ball both ways. Knows which lengths to bowl.
 
Fun fact for pace junkies. Here is the pace for Irfan Pathan’s famous hatrick against Pakistan:

Butt 72.6 MPH
Younis 76.7 MPH
Yousuf 77.6 MPH
 
Mir Hamza has definitely improved his game for White-ball entry. The Champions Trophy is coming and this guy can make a difference considering his skills on these pitches. Way better than other pacers.
 
As Mir Hamza trains at Multan Cricket Stadium for the second Test, Ben Duckett must be relishing the opportunity

JQWPz2z.jpg
 
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