[PICTURE/VIDEO] Lahore born U19 batsman Qasim Akram

[MenInG]

Qasim Akram aims to become the best batsman in the world

• “Father and brother work at a shop that sells used clothes, my aim is to become the world’s best, says Qasim Akram

• Qasim started his cricket journey as a fast bowler before taking up batting

• Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are Qasim’s favourite batsmen


Lahore, 04 January 2020:

Qasim Akram is one of the batting prodigies named in Pakistan’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 squad that will contest for the trophy in South Africa in the tournament beginning from 17th January. The Lahore-born Qasim started his love affair with cricket after he was inspired by his friends playing cricket in his neighbourhood.

Qasim, who hails from a lower middle-class area in Lahore and also bowls off-spin, started taking keen interest in the game when he saw cricket matches at the Kot Khawaja Saeed club ground near his home. After a long wait he was allowed access to the ground by one of the coaches as a ball-picker.

Qasim was tasked with retrieving balls hit far and long by batsmen at the nets, one day his luck changed as the club team gave him an opportunity of playing when one of the team players didn’t show up. Qasim made an impression as a fast bowler and his cricket journey started.

Qasim Akram on his early days and cricketing ambition: “On my coach’s instructions I started taking batting seriously. I used to stay out late due to my interest in cricket, my father used to scold me but with my brothers’ intervention, I was allowed to pursue cricket. My father and brother worked at the old clothes shop.

“I have worked very hard for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, head coach Ijaz Ahmed has helped me identify and overcome by mistakes. I would want to play a central role in Pakistan’s success at the tournament.”

Qasim made an entry into PCB recognised cricket through his induction in the PCB-Pepsi U16 tw0-day tournament; he scored 373 runs in eight matches to justify his inclusion. Qasim progressed to U19 cricket and represented Lahore for the next two years.

Last year, Qasim scored 260 runs in five matches of the National U19 three-day tournament to occupy the third spot on the batting chart. In the one-day version, Qasim hammered two centuries in a 296-run tally in five games with a hugely impressive average of 74 with the best of 131.

Qasim has already represented Pakistan U19 on tours of South Africa and Sri Lanka, at the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup he wants to take the next big step and emulate his idols Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, the prolific batting duo announced their talents to the world at the same platform, a golden opportunity awaits Qasim.




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[Belawal2014]

Rooting for you Qasim! All the best!

 

[shah_1]

Apart from Babar Azam we haven't had a decent batting talent from U19

 

[Khan12]

What I have seen of him he looked dreadful against spinners. But good luck to him.

 

[shah_1]

What I have seen of him he looked dreadful against spinners. But good luck to him.

This problem is with most of our U19 batsmen hence we have been getting humliated by Afgahnistan U19 wrist spinners

 

[Afhan Ali]

Good luck to him
What is his age?
20+? I guess

 

[Khan12]

This problem is with most of our U19 batsmen hence we have been getting humliated by Afgahnistan U19 wrist spinners

Yeah I agree. Majorith of our youngsters these days are awful against spin.

 

[shah_1]

Yeah I agree. Majorith of our youngsters these days are awful against spin.

4 days of cricket instead of 3 days
10 red ball matches instead of 5 matches


These changes are a must

 

[Abdullah719]

Good luck to him
What is his age?
20+? I guess

Turned 17 a month ago.

 

[shamaan]

Any vidoes of him plz

 

[Bewal Express]

Qasim Akram aims to become the best batsman in the world

• “Father and brother work at a shop that sells used clothes, my aim is to become the world’s best, says Qasim Akram

• Qasim started his cricket journey as a fast bowler before taking up batting

• Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are Qasim’s favourite batsmen


Lahore, 04 January 2020:

Qasim Akram is one of the batting prodigies named in Pakistan’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 squad that will contest for the trophy in South Africa in the tournament beginning from 17th January. The Lahore-born Qasim started his love affair with cricket after he was inspired by his friends playing cricket in his neighbourhood.

Qasim, who hails from a lower middle-class area in Lahore and also bowls off-spin, started taking keen interest in the game when he saw cricket matches at the Kot Khawaja Saeed club ground near his home. After a long wait he was allowed access to the ground by one of the coaches as a ball-picker.

Qasim was tasked with retrieving balls hit far and long by batsmen at the nets, one day his luck changed as the club team gave him an opportunity of playing when one of the team players didn’t show up. Qasim made an impression as a fast bowler and his cricket journey started.

Qasim Akram on his early days and cricketing ambition: “On my coach’s instructions I started taking batting seriously. I used to stay out late due to my interest in cricket, my father used to scold me but with my brothers’ intervention, I was allowed to pursue cricket. My father and brother worked at the old clothes shop.

“I have worked very hard for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, head coach Ijaz Ahmed has helped me identify and overcome by mistakes. I would want to play a central role in Pakistan’s success at the tournament.”

Qasim made an entry into PCB recognised cricket through his induction in the PCB-Pepsi U16 tw0-day tournament; he scored 373 runs in eight matches to justify his inclusion. Qasim progressed to U19 cricket and represented Lahore for the next two years.

Last year, Qasim scored 260 runs in five matches of the National U19 three-day tournament to occupy the third spot on the batting chart. In the one-day version, Qasim hammered two centuries in a 296-run tally in five games with a hugely impressive average of 74 with the best of 131.

Qasim has already represented Pakistan U19 on tours of South Africa and Sri Lanka, at the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup he wants to take the next big step and emulate his idols Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, the prolific batting duo announced their talents to the world at the same platform, a golden opportunity awaits Qasim.


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That is not a 17yr old, around 20 at least.

 

[m.shah]

That is not a 17yr old, around 20 at least.

It is disgusting how can some people judge the age by just looking at the face.

 

[Khan12]

It is disgusting how can some people judge the age by just looking at the face.

We call them age experts for a reason.

 

[Sir-fraz]

It is disgusting how can some people judge the age by just looking at the face.

Have you seen 17 year olds these days? They dont have a full beard like him.. kids 20 minimum.

 

[aloo paratha]

Have you seen 17 year olds these days? They dont have a full beard like him.. kids 20 minimum.

I am 17, my friend who is the same age has had a beard like this guy does since age 15.

 

[Bewal Express]

It is disgusting how can some people judge the age by just looking at the face.

When you have worked with as many kids as I have, you can see patterns emerging within reason.

 

[Khan12]

When you have worked with as many kids as I have, you can see patterns emerging within reason.

Can you share you thoughts on the Peshawar u13 players I am sure they will look around 20+ year olds to you.

 

[Saj]

If this lad is 17, then I am 21.

I mean who are the PCB kidding.

 

[shah_1]

Age fudging is very common in SC(only now BCCI taking some action)

No way he is 17 year old

 

[m.shah]

Have you seen 17 year olds these days? They dont have a full beard like him.. kids 20 minimum.

I have seen 16 year old with such beard and some 15 year old as I was myself a school teacher last year.

 

[moghul]

If you're high school drop out, you can present any fake age related document.

Just after passing my matric exam, still not 16 yet, I went for a under 16 trials in Lahore. They asked the copy of my matriculation certificate with by DOB on it, I barely made it. One of my older ( by 3 years ) brother's friend, who was a high school drop out but a very good batsman showed some made up " birth certificate" and was even young than me , as per his documents.

 

[Naim]

Have you seen 17 year olds these days? They dont have a full beard like him.. kids 20 minimum.

I had full beard at the age of 14 when i was in 9th class and i am telling me real age. I have writte real age in my CNIC and other documents. Not everyone fudged age in Pak. So plzzz have some sense.

 

[moghul]

I had full beard at the age of 14 when i was in 9th class and i am telling me real age. I have writte real age in my CNIC and other documents. Not everyone fudged age in Pak. So plzzz have some sense.

I someone has full beard at age 14, that would be a potential case of abnormally high androgen level and needs to be worked up.

 

[gazza619]

Mark my words, this guy is destined to do well. Love his confidence.

 

[topspin]

Good reminder that after Afghanistan, we are the second best at age fudging.

 

[Bewal Express]

To some extent The age is irrelevant unless it's the U19 WC and it gives him an unfair advantage against genuine u19, the question in the long term is whether he is any good. Let's see

 

[Rinnegan Sasuke]

To some extent The age is irrelevant unless it's the U19 WC and it gives him an unfair advantage against genuine u19, the question in the long term is whether he is any good. Let's see

I don't think so, the biggest problem age fudging causes is that time and effort goes into developing a supposed 16 year old , and said player by the time he hits 30 is a burden on the team because in actuality he's five years older. It's basically fraud.

 

[Saj]

To some extent The age is irrelevant unless it's the U19 WC and it gives him an unfair advantage against genuine u19, the question in the long term is whether he is any good. Let's see

Not just the World Cup.

Those lads who are doing well against guys who are a few years younger than them and they are all supposed to be the same age, are cheating themselves, their opponents, the PCB and the whole system.

 

[shah_1]

Not just the World Cup.

Those lads who are doing well against guys who are a few years younger than them and they are all supposed to be the same age, are cheating themselves, their opponents, the PCB and the whole system.

Apart from Babar Azam we have not produced great batsmen from U19 batch because of this reason only

Their progression isn’t natural, they start playing FC cricket when they are suppose to be playing international cricket.

 

[Bewal Express]

Not just the World Cup.

Those lads who are doing well against guys who are a few years younger than them and they are all supposed to be the same age, are cheating themselves, their opponents, the PCB and the whole system.

Good point. But it's such a big part of the game in PK and its nigh impossible to eradicate unless the PCB take a strong stance. But as we saw with Naseem, they actively encourage it. And it doesnt help when you have idiots like Rameez reinforcing the lie as if it was some national pride thing.

 

[Bullet Drive]

Looks about 22.

 

[MMHS]

I had full beard at the age of 14 when i was in 9th class and i am telling me real age. I have writte real age in my CNIC and other documents. Not everyone fudged age in Pak. So plzzz have some sense.

Your argument is flawed - irrelevant here. It doesn’t matter if it’s possible to fudge age in PAK or not, rather PCB is deliberately promoting age cheating by few years - 1/2 years cheating you can’t check; doesn’t matter either but there is a systematic cheating of 3-4 even 6-7 years which is endorsed, at least over looked by PCB; which is the issue - it’s not a question of if it’s possible in Pakistan or not; rather the issue is that it’s been happening at alarming magnitude in PAK cricket.

I give an example - today, I see some U13 kids winning some tournament and I am sure most of these kids are within age limit, may be few out layers, but average age of that squad won’t be more than 13. This suggests, at school level, there is definitely some procedure to scrutinise age. But, the fun starts after that - PCB allows 18-19 years old lads to play U16 tournament and obviously they’ll do better than genuine aged kids of 14-15-16. 3-4 years later, from same batch, same 23-25 years old young men will be playing and performing at U19 level.... and they’ll be first preference to go to FC level/PSL as well again, based on their performance in U19 level. Result is, genuine talented kids (for their age) either will miss out or also have to fudge age by few years to join the system.

Age fudging is not new in sports and it’s not a major issue either, if it’s factored in the development phase. Learning curve is extremely correlated with biological age between 13 to 19; therefore every age level has a different level of skill/workload/endurance trainings - it hardly matters if a 29 years old man pretends to be 23, because his learning curve is almost finished; but that’s not true if a 23 years old young man pretends to be 19.

 

[Naim]

Your argument is flawed - irrelevant here. It doesn’t matter if it’s possible to fudge age in PAK or not, rather PCB is deliberately promoting age cheating by few years - 1/2 years cheating you can’t check; doesn’t matter either but there is a systematic cheating of 3-4 even 6-7 years which is endorsed, at least over looked by PCB; which is the issue - it’s not a question of if it’s possible in Pakistan or not; rather the issue is that it’s been happening at alarming magnitude in PAK cricket.

I give an example - today, I see some U13 kids winning some tournament and I am sure most of these kids are within age limit, may be few out layers, but average age of that squad won’t be more than 13. This suggests, at school level, there is definitely some procedure to scrutinise age. But, the fun starts after that - PCB allows 18-19 years old lads to play U16 tournament and obviously they’ll do better than genuine aged kids of 14-15-16. 3-4 years later, from same batch, same 23-25 years old young men will be playing and performing at U19 level.... and they’ll be first preference to go to FC level/PSL as well again, based on their performance in U19 level. Result is, genuine talented kids (for their age) either will miss out or also have to fudge age by few years to join the system.

Age fudging is not new in sports and it’s not a major issue either, if it’s factored in the development phase. Learning curve is extremely correlated with biological age between 13 to 19; therefore every age level has a different level of skill/workload/endurance trainings - it hardly matters if a 29 years old man pretends to be 23, because his learning curve is almost finished; but that’s not true if a 23 years old young man pretends to be 19.

You are right about PCB that they are incouraging people to fudge age. But my argument was you can't judge age of any one by just looking at picture and saying he has full beard so he is not less then 17.

 

[MMHS]

You are right about PCB that they are incouraging people to fudge age. But my argument was you can't judge age of any one by just looking at picture and saying he has full beard so he is not less then 17.

Could be - I have seen full grown Chinese people without any beard at all!!!! But, age cheating in PAK cricket has gone to a level that for every cricketer - the first circumspection comes around age, be it junior level or senior level. And, have to say in most cases people proved to be right as well. This is gone to such a level that even players like Malik (still extremely fit and may be close to his genuine age) were taunted by Swan in Twitter.

Beard or no beard, I have seen the first point raised is that in modern Pakistan, age cheating can’t be done - but in reality it’s happening at mass scale to be honest, which is counter productive.

 

[Abdullah719]

Looking ahead to Friday’s match, Qasim Akram, who produced an all-round performance on Wednesday, said: “I am really happy to see Bangladesh team touring Lahore. I urge cricket fans, my family and friends to watch the T20I matches at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

“We also have a crucial match against Bangladesh tomorrow and I'm hopeful that we will do very well. We are a strong team and by winning the game we can top our group which has been our aim from the start.

“We have worked hard both here and during the camp in Lahore so we are prepared for Bangladesh.

“When I went out to bat against Zimbabwe the situation was a bit tricky for us. I took no pressure of the situation and tried to play my own game. Similarly, during my bowling spell, the captain asked me to contain the batsmen and not to chase wickets. I am happy I managed that well and also picked up two wickets in my 10-over spell.

“Irfan Khan took a stunning catch of my bowling at a critical juncture of the game and that catch changed the whole complexion of the game.

“As a batsman my strategy is not to let the opposition dominate. I'll continue to play in the same manner regardless of the opponents.”


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[MenInG]

Looks very assured so far in Pakistan's runchase vs Afghanistan

 

[Theo_14]

Him and Haris have been standout performers for me because the top order has on several occasions let these two down.

They have shown composure and maturity; seem to handle pressure well. I’d like to see how they do when a high run chase is required; very early days.

 

[shamaan]

Decent batesman and a okay bowler good prospect for the future

 

[sohailmm]

plays too many dots and struggling to time the ball in front of the wicket, yet to be convinced about him but need to see more of him for a final verdict.

 

[Ahson8]

Qasim Akram - future Mohammad Hafeez?

Part of the U19 team. Bats at No 4 and bowls some very handy offspin.

His performances in the WC so far are

54 & 2/41 vs ZIM &
25* & 1/15 vs AFG

I thought he bowled brilliantly today, he was very economical and really tied down the Afghanistan middle order batsmen in those middle overs; very reminiscent of how Hafeez used to operate in the 2012-13 period. Did well to absorb the pressure and finish the game with the bat today too. Looks a good prospect; one to keep an eye on for sure IMO.

 

[murakh1]

Allah Tala is bache ko barkat de...Amen

 

[Thunderbolt14]

He was giving a full toss or two every over. The Afghan batsmen didn’t punish him for those, and instead of sending them to the boundary played those balls for a duck. I’m not writing him off as I don’t believe in that, but I don’t think today’s performance should be judged solely on the stats.

Also note that the wicket provides a lot of support to spinners, so it’s yet to be seen how effective he would be in other conditions. His one wicket was also a nothing shot by Rahmnullah who was trying to sweep a ball that didn’t warrant that kind of shot.

No doubt he was great with the bat though, at least in terms of handling pressure and holding down the fort after wickets had fallen. If he can work harder on his bowling, he can definitely come into consideration but he’s not there yet for me

 

[ahmadharis1]

Is it just me or does his action look a bit suspect? If so he's definitely the next Hafeez

 

[Ozeirk]

I don't think we need another Hafeez who took a decade to be a useful player.

 

[minamino]

Does that mean sticking to the team like a termite for almost 20 years? I hope not.

 

[Ahson8]

I don't think we need another Hafeez who took a decade to be a useful player.

Does that mean sticking to the team like a termite for almost 20 years? I hope not.

Lol I know he has his cons, but Hafeez was a pretty handy player at his peak

Is it just me or does his action look a bit suspect? If so he's definitely the next Hafeez

Looked pretty clean to me.

 

[Ahson8]

He was giving a full toss or two every over. The Afghan batsmen didn’t punish him for those, and instead of sending them to the boundary played those balls for a duck. I’m not writing him off as I don’t believe in that, but I don’t think today’s performance should be judged solely on the stats.

Also note that the wicket provides a lot of support to spinners, so it’s yet to be seen how effective he would be in other conditions. His one wicket was also a nothing shot by Rahmnullah who was trying to sweep a ball that didn’t warrant that kind of shot.

No doubt he was great with the bat though, at least in terms of handling pressure and holding down the fort after wickets had fallen. If he can work harder on his bowling, he can definitely come into consideration but he’s not there yet for me

Yeah he did bowl a few loose deliveries which AFG didnt capitalise on but he is still young. I think there is lot of potential to work with here.

 

[pratiktc]

One letter away from a legend.

 

[Majid Khan]

Haven’t seen him play but looking at the stats in opening post , so he scored a 50 v Zimbabwe and 25 v Afghanistan and chipped in with 1/2 wickets in both games <— That definitely looks like Hafeez in peak form and going through a ‘purple patch’ as they used to say in the old days.

Out of interest when do they play Bangladesh ?

 

[Asher]

He has a compact defence..so no not another Hafeez..lol

I've watched him and Harris bat and not of them looked uncomfortable. Equally adept against pace and spin.

 

[Ahson8]

Haven’t seen him play but looking at the stats in opening post , so he scored a 50 v Zimbabwe and 25 v Afghanistan and chipped in with 1/2 wickets in both games <— That definitely looks like Hafeez in peak form and going through a ‘purple patch’ as they used to say in the old days.

Out of interest when do they play Bangladesh ?

We already played Bangla but it got rained out. Might face them in final if we beat India in the semi

 

[Ahson8]

He has a compact defence..so no not another Hafeez..lol

I've watched him and Harris bat and not of them looked uncomfortable. Equally adept against pace and spin.

Yeah I know; I meant as in playing role.

 

[moghul]

Hope he is not a chucker and will be better than a bits and pieces player like Hafeez.

 

[aloo paratha]

Lets hope not.

 

[Abdullah719]

Batting now against India.

 

[Manik Rao]

Having seen his knock against Afghanistan, I believe he's the most compact & sensible batsman in this line up. There's a certain feel of calmness in his batting. Add to that he bowls decent offies and fields well too. Hope he gets a big score today InshaAllah.

 

[Ahson8]

'Just like Haider Ali, Qasim Akram will make his Pakistan debut soon’ U19 coach Ijaz Ahmed

Lahore: Pakistan U19 team head coach Ijaz Ahmed has predicted that just like emerging batsman Haider Ali, young all-rounder Qasim Akram will make his senior team debut soon.

The 19-year-old Haider made his debut against England in the final T20I of the series and made sparkling fifty. Qasim is a right-handed batsman and bowls right-arm off break. He represented Pakistan U19 earlier this year at the ICC U19 World Cup in South Africa.

“I am fully confident about Qasim because he has full complete abilities to become a great all-rounder. He is one of the best fielders according to white-ball cricket requirement, his power-hitting and fitness are of top quality,” former batsman said.

“Apart from him, there is Abbas Afridi, pacer Amir Khan, spinner Aamir Ali, wicket-keeper batsman Haris Khan. I am confident that soon these U19 products will represent the national team soon,” he added.

He also hailed the ongoing U19 trails in six cricket association for the National U19 teams. “Being a selector, I have experienced these trials too and it is a great opportunity for the kids. We will consider these potential players and those who are already in the U19 setup,” he maintained.

https://arysports.tv/just-like-haider-qasim-will-pakistan-debut-soon-u19-coach-ijaz/

 

[gazza619]

How our standards have dropped!!!

 

[Ahson8]

How our standards have dropped!!!

Easy, he has a good technique and a decent offspin bowler, I'm not comparing him to Hafeez the player, more like the role Hafeez used to play for us.

 

[shamaan]

How our standards have dropped!!!

How have they dropped based on qasim akram ?

 

[ataullah]

This guy seems to have come on leaps and bounds. Averaging 57 in list A with a strike rate of 101 and played 12 games. His off spin has been below par. Anyone impressed?

 

[aloo paratha]

This guy seems to have come on leaps and bounds. Averaging 57 in list A with a strike rate of 101 and played 12 games. His off spin has been below par. Anyone impressed?

he had a very good tournament. I think he also did well in the latter half of the QeA trophy. CP stuck with him and it's paying off. I think he's also been picked as Karachi Kings only emerging player, so he will play all of the games for them in the PSL.

His offspin is very tame. Nothing more than a part time option. The issue is in his action, not enough rotation in the hips.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

That is not a 17yr old, around 20 at least.

Could even be 21 but still young enough.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

This guy seems to have come on leaps and bounds. Averaging 57 in list A with a strike rate of 101 and played 12 games. His off spin has been below par. Anyone impressed?

Not really. His batting is good but he’s not an off spinner. So he’d be playing as specialist bat if he were ever to be selected in any format, and for that he would need to score piles of runs in domestics. Doesn’t have the technique to be fast tracked.

However, after he goes and smashes some 17 and 18 year olds in the U19 WC next year, in addition to a good PSL, I expect him to make his debut by the end of 2022.

 

[mazkhan]

Should be in consideration for the shaheen team at least.

Very consistent performer in the one day cup this year

 

[shamaan]

i think 1 more season of domestic pluss the world cup u19s. Then the shaheens.I dont expect him to be part of the Pakistan squad for atleast 2 years.

Hes going to get majority of the games for karachi in the emerging category but i hope he isnt fast tracked into the pakistan squad

 

[aloo paratha]

He's looked impressive since his turnaround in form. Looks to have a decent technique, and can play all around the ground. His offspin is a decent part time option. One to look out for I'd say.

 

[King_Kohli]

• Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are Qasim’s favourite batsmen

All the best

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

• Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are Qasim’s favourite batsmen

All the best

Better role models than what it used to be for the youngster batters, Afridi