The double standard about Sami Aslam moving to the USA

[Junaids]

I have been struggling in recent weeks to process the reaction to Sami Aslam moving to the USA.

It was - from a cricketing point of view - a foolish decision. He is clearly the Pakistan opener with the best technique and the best record overseas. When Shan Masood was passed over for the captaincy he took with him any cricketing argument for why he should be in the team. With Abid Ali averaging 17.71 against the combined forces of England, New Zealand, South Africa and Bangladesh, and with Imran Butt clearly out of his depth, Sami Aslam should have been next in line.

But as we all know, he took a $100,000 contract to play in the USA. He effectively moved overseas for a better life. And now he is considered to have made himself unselectable.

But why is he unselectable? Why is this viewed now as treachery, as treason?

Where does Shakib-al-Hasan live? Milwaukee, in Wisconsin, in the USA.

Where did Clive Lloyd live for the entire time that he captained the West Indies? Cheadle Hulme, on the outskirts of Manchester.

Did Imran Khan live in Pakistan when he captained Pakistan? No, he lived in Hove, on the outskirts of Brighton. That's why he played no domestic cricket in Pakistan - he used to fly home just before a series.

What about Wasim Akram? He lived in Altrincham, also on the outskirts of Manchester.

But let's bring it forward to the present day.

I know for a fact that Waqar Younis lives in Sydney, having grown up in Sharjah. But he is considered eligible to be the bowling coach for Pakistan. And I'm pretty sure that Pakistan have been carrying Shoaib Malik around the cricket world even though he lives in Dubai.

And this phenomenon is not restricted to players from Third World countries. Sir Andrew Strauss was the England team supremo when he actually lived in Victoria, Australia.

So why is Sami Aslam treated as a traitor for doing something that is so common across the cricket world?

 

[BreadPakoda]

Umm, maybe because of his attitude and the reason why he decided to leave his country?

The equivalence that you tried to draw with the case of Imran, Strauss, Younis, etc. misses that tiny little part.

 

[RickyG]

This has to be a troll thread. Non one is calling Sami Aslam a traitor. A quitter yes but not a traitor. I'm pretty sure he quit first class cricket in Pakistan. All the names you mentioned, not only were the playing competitive cricket at a high standard but were already established in their respective international teams.

I don't think anyone apart from you cares about where Sami Aslam lives. But do you think if he doesn't play first class cricket at a competitive level (in a test playing nation) he still merits a call up to the national team?

You really do come up with some weird stuff. Your ****** obsession has passed on from Fixer Butt to Sami Aslam.

 

[RickyG]

Umm, maybe because of his attitude and the reason why he decided to leave his country?

The equivalence that you tried to draw with the case of Imran, Strauss, Younis, etc. misses that tiny little part.

It's weird the OP is discussing where the lived not the level of cricket they were playing. As if people took issue with Aslam wanting to live in America and not with quitting first class cricket to mickey mouse cricket in America.

 

[Slog]

He is not going to the US league as an overseas player. He has joined it as a local player and effectively given up his eligibility for Pakistan. That is why he cannot be selected even if they want to. He cannot appear on Pakistan domestic cricket and essentially there is no quality level cricket he will be able to appear in because county cricket or other major cricket nations domestic sides are not snoring for him. This is similar to a Kolpak contract in some ways where he has effectively ended his cricketing career in Pakistan to be able to play locally in the US

 

[Savak]

Maybe the pcb might allow Pakistani cricketers to live abroad but make it mandatory for them to play domestic cricket in Pakistan to be considered for national selection

 

[Slog]

Maybe the pcb might allow Pakistani cricketers to live abroad but make it mandatory for them to play domestic cricket in Pakistan to be considered for national selection

I believe that for the green card scheme he is under In the US; he cannot live outside of the US for more than a limited amount of time. This effectively means he cannot appear in anywhere close to a full domestic season in Pakistan. Accepting this contact meant he is saying farewell to Pakistan cricket essentially in every way even if Pakistani cricket authorities want him to be part of the system

 

[hashimafzal]

Sami Aslam isn't a quitter nor a traitor.

He made a decision for his career based on his own personal circumstances.

I wish him all the best.

 

[Hasan123]

No one has an issue with him living in the USA but he has given up his Pakistan career to play as a USA player or in there league. Pakistan has issues in opening in tests, if he scored in domestic cricket he could have gotten back in the test team. The fact he has given up shows he lacks the character for international cricket. Someone like Fawad was treated much harshly. But he carried on and got his chance in the end .

So no one has an issue with him living in USA if he was playing for Pakistan. The issue is he has given up his citizenship to make a cricketing career in a country who isn't even associate level in cricket.

 

[Junaids]

I believe that for the green card scheme he is under In the US; he cannot live outside of the US for more than a limited amount of time. This effectively means he cannot appear in anywhere close to a full domestic season in Pakistan. Accepting this contact meant he is saying farewell to Pakistan cricket essentially in every way even if Pakistani cricket authorities want him to be part of the system

The Pakistan domestic season lasts 6 weeks.

There is a maximum of 8 weeks of international cricket in Pakistan each year.

This reminds me of what everyone has forgotten about how the West Indies were dethroned by Australia in 1995 as World Test Champions.

Their champion opener Desmond Haynes had moved to South Africa and was no longer playing domestic First Class. The West Indies Cricket Board introduced a new rule that you could only be picked for international duty if you played West Indian domestic cricket.

So they didn't pick him, his replacements failed, and they lost their crown.

Oh, and er, didn't Mohammad Wasim previously emigrate to New Zealand? Is that topic off limits now?

 

[mazkhan]

How on earth you are equating those other players, legends, household names with a nobody like sami aslam defies logic.

 

[Slog]

The Pakistan domestic season lasts 6 weeks.

There is a maximum of 8 weeks of international cricket in Pakistan each year.

This reminds me of what everyone has forgotten about how the West Indies were dethroned by Australia in 1995 as World Test Champions.

Their champion opener Desmond Haynes had moved to South Africa and was no longer playing domestic First Class. The West Indies Cricket Board introduced a new rule that you could only be picked for international duty if you played West Indian domestic cricket.

So they didn't pick him, his replacements failed, and they lost their crown.

Oh, and er, didn't Mohammad Wasim previously emigrate to New Zealand? Is that topic off limits now?

How many cricket matches did Mohammad Wasim play for Pakistan after emigrating to New Zealand? Are you going to continue making nonsensical false equivalences?

 

[Zaz]

Junaids You are deliberately ignoring the fact that aslam wont be playing any high standard of competiive cricket and hence why hes unselectable.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I don’t get the comparisons to all these people like Imran and Lloyd who lived abroad. They weren’t enrolled by the England Cricket Board and on their salary.

If Sami returns to the Pakistan setup, he also has to relinquish his job with the US cricket board and thus any visa sponsorship they might be providing him with. And come back to Pakistan. Why is this difficult to understand? Maybe you’re not familiar with this stuff as a Britisher/Aussie but Pakistanis find it difficult to settle down in the US just like that.

 

[Titan24]

Playing for Pak will make him ineligible to play for USA for a standard period by resetting the qualification period to represent another country. I think USA cricket team eventually wants him to represent USA and that is why he has been given a contract.

 

[Titan24]

To add to my post, if it would have been just about green card and playing club cricket in USA it wouldnt have been an issue for him to get selected for Pak and play domestic cricket but, this deal if I am not wrong is about representing USA cricket team. Taking that deal means he cant play for Pak otherwise the deal would be pointless and he wont be able to represent USA again for the qualification period.

So its not similar to the examples of Sakib, Imran etc. who were just living in other countries but were not on a plan to represent the countries they were living in.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

None of these comparisons are remotely accurate, Sami Aslams case resembles Jofra Archer more than any of the players listed.

He isnt just living abroad - he wants to qualify to play for another team.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

To add to my post, if it would have been just about green card and playing club cricket in USA it wouldnt have been an issue for him to get selected for Pak and play domestic cricket but, this deal if I am not wrong is about representing USA cricket team. Taking that deal means he cant play for Pak otherwise the deal would be pointless and he wont be able to represent USA again for the qualification period.

So its not similar to the examples of Sakib, Imran etc. who were just living in other countries but were not on a plan to represent the countries they were living in.

You don't understand. He's being sponsored by an H1B to play in the US. He must stay in the US for a period of time and then apply for residency which will grant him a green card.

Sami Aslam cannot get a green card if he stops playing for the US cricket team. He would have to return to Pakistan.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

None of these comparisons are remotely accurate, Sami Aslams case resembles Jofra Archer more than any of the players listed.

He isnt just living abroad - he wants to qualify to play for another team.

This. Jofra had one British parent and ECB lobbied the immigration department for a change to fasten up the process.
Sami Aslam though a different route but same outcome.

 

[Junaids]

I guess it's hard for me, domiciled in Australia, to get my head around this.

The world has 65,000 H1B visas for an individual to move to the USA and work.

Australia has a quota of 10,500 E3 visas allowing them to do so and take their whole family, and in no year in the last decade have even 6,000 been taken up. Australians aren't going to move to a country with a 50 week working year and no free healthcare!

So it's hard for us to understand that people from other countries would!

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I guess it's hard for me, domiciled in Australia, to get my head around this.

The world has 65,000 H1B visas for an individual to move to the USA and work.

Australia has a quota of 10,500 E3 visas allowing them to do so and take their whole family, and in no year in the last decade have even 6,000 been taken up. Australians aren't going to move to a country with a 50 week working year and no free healthcare!

So it's hard for us to understand that people from other countries would!

That’s the difference between Australia and Pakistan. I hope that makes it a bit clearer about what Sami’s motivations are — this guy isn’t coming back to Pakistan and can never ever play for Pakistan again unless he gives up a $100,000 a year lifestyle where he can settle his family in the States.

Sami’s gone now — nothing we can do about it.

 

[Titan24]

You don't understand. He's being sponsored by an H1B to play in the US. He must stay in the US for a period of time and then apply for residency which will grant him a green card.

Sami Aslam cannot get a green card if he stops playing for the US cricket team. He would have to return to Pakistan.

He is currently not playing for US cricket team and cant even play for US cricket team unless he qualifies for that as per the criteria for any player who wants to represent any other country.

He has to remain in US to get the green card is exactly what I said but from the perspective that its not the ultimate aim for sponsoring him and they are sponsoring him for H1B visa so that he can eventually play for US cricket team and also providing him a pay until he qualifies.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

He is currently not playing for US cricket team and cant even play for US cricket team unless he qualifies for that as per the criteria for any player who wants to represent any other country.

He has to remain in US to get the green card is exactly what I said and they are sponsoring him for H1B visa so that he can eventually play for US cricket team.

What I’m saying is, if he aborts the process of playing for the US cricket team, he can’t get a green card.

Your statement was “if it would have been just about green card and playing club cricket in USA it wouldnt have been an issue for him to get selected for Pak and play domestic cricket”. It would definitely be an issue. Given visa restrictions, it’s impossible for Sami to play club cricket in the US or get a green card if he chooses to come back into contention for the Pakistan team (because then the US cricket board would cancel his contract and lead to cancellation of the visa).

 

[Titan24]

That’s the difference between Australia and Pakistan. I hope that makes it a bit clearer about what Sami’s motivations are — this guy isn’t coming back to Pakistan and can never ever play for Pakistan again unless he gives up a $100,000 a year lifestyle where he can settle his family in the States.

Sami’s gone now — nothing we can do about it.

Till the time he doesn’t wear USA shirt in cricket, he can represent Pakistan anytime he wants (Obviously if selected) and as you said if he is willing to forgo the yearly pay.

 

[Titan24]

What I’m saying is, if he aborts the process of playing for the US cricket team, he can’t get a green card.

Your statement was “if it would have been just about green card and playing club cricket in USA it wouldnt have been an issue for him to get selected for Pak and play domestic cricket”. It would definitely be an issue. Given visa restrictions, it’s impossible for Sami to play club cricket in the US or get a green card if he chooses to come back into contention for the Pakistan team (because then the US cricket board would cancel his contract and lead to cancellation of the visa).

I guess my post didnt come across as I intended to. Point of my post was that its not just him getting green card or nationality of any other country for that matter which would have been without any restriction of which country he plays for as far as he completes the minimum days and the criteria. However, as he is being sponsored by a cricket board with sole purpose of him playing for USA in future he cant play for Pak in that route. Point was to explain how it’s different to Sakib, Imran, Waqar etc living somewhere else.

 

[Titan24]

Your statement was “if it would have been just about green card and playing club cricket in USA it wouldnt have been an issue for him to get selected for Pak and play domestic cricket”. It would definitely be an issue. Given visa restrictions, it’s impossible for Sami to play club cricket in the US or get a green card if he chooses to come back into contention for the Pakistan team (because then the US cricket board would cancel his contract and lead to cancellation of the visa).

This statement was to imply he is not just getting green card and playing club cricket rather he is on a deal with USA cricket to represent USA once he qualifies. If he would have been getting a green card without being sponsored by cricket board through a deal it wouldnt have been any issue whether he represents Pak or not as far as he met the criteria.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Till the time he doesn’t wear USA shirt in cricket, he can represent Pakistan anytime he wants (Obviously if selected) and as you said if he is willing to forgo the yearly pay.

Yearly pay as well as visa, green card, citizenship, and kids with blue passport.

 

[Titan24]

Yearly pay as well as visa, green card, citizenship, and kids with blue passport.

Yes definitely as everything is linked to him having a deal with the US cricket board. Once he decides not to represent US team, they obviously will not be sponsoring him for green card or paying him.

 

[Dingolfy]

I guess it's hard for me, domiciled in Australia, to get my head around this.

The world has 65,000 H1B visas for an individual to move to the USA and work.

Australia has a quota of 10,500 E3 visas allowing them to do so and take their whole family, and in no year in the last decade have even 6,000 been taken up. Australians aren't going to move to a country with a 50 week working year and no free healthcare!

So it's hard for us to understand that people from other countries would!

I lived in USA for 7 years before moving to Australia on PR due to long GC queue for Indians and I can tell you that Australia is just a village compared to USA with better health care and less gun violence. I had better pay, lived in way better houses with centralized heating, drove on wider and well-connected highways at a much faster speed, had cheaper everything, more variety, better bbq, had way lot of things to do and that too at a cheaper rate. So I can understand why people prefer to go to ‘Murica.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

This statement was to imply he is not just getting green card and playing club cricket rather he is on a deal with USA cricket to represent USA once he qualifies. If he would have been getting a green card without being sponsored by cricket board through a deal it wouldnt have been any issue whether he represents Pak or not as far as he met the criteria.

How would he have been getting a green card otherwise? It’s very difficult, which leads me to believe that he’s in the US for the sole reason of settling a family there.

I don’t think he cares about the US cricket team, the real fact is that he wanted the money and the assurances that come with US citizenship. The US cricket team is simply a means to an end (and a very good means, as not everybody gets such an easy route to citizenship).

Sami Aslam struck gold when he was made the offer.

 

[Slog]

How would he have been getting a green card otherwise? It’s very difficult, which leads me to believe that he’s in the US for the sole reason of settling a family there.

I don’t think he cares about the US cricket team, the real fact is that he wanted the money and the assurances that come with US citizenship. The US cricket team is simply a means to an end (and a very good means, as not everybody gets such an easy route to citizenship).

Sami Aslam struck gold when he was made the offer.

1) you are right to say his aim was to get settled in US and this is just a means to and end. Clearly he has no passions to want to represent the US.

2) why do you say he struck gold? Yes he will get a US citizenship eventually if all goes to plan but why is that be all and end all. He will be confined to the dustbins of history in a few years and people will quickly forget about him. Already people have moved on asides from OP and a few others. And all this for what? A few years of hundred grand and then what? If he’d stuck around Pakistan and broken back into the national team then his ceiiing would have been much much higher. Do you think for eg. Babar or Rizwan would give up Pakistan cricket team if he’s handed a US citizenship tomorrow? Andre is no.

 

[saeedhk]

I am happy for whoever escapes from his country. I do not blame them but rather the awful economic conditions and terrible law and order at home.

 

[Dingolfy]

1) you are right to say his aim was to get settled in US and this is just a means to and end. Clearly he has no passions to want to represent the US.

2) why do you say he struck gold? Yes he will get a US citizenship eventually if all goes to plan but why is that be all and end all. He will be confined to the dustbins of history in a few years and people will quickly forget about him. Already people have moved on asides from OP and a few others. And all this for what? A few years of hundred grand and then what? If he’d stuck around Pakistan and broken back into the national team then his ceiiing would have been much much higher. Do you think for eg. Babar or Rizwan would give up Pakistan cricket team if he’s handed a US citizenship tomorrow? Andre is no.

The point 2 would depend on how close he was/is to Pakistan team. May be he thinks he don’t have much of a chance to make it to Pakistan team and wants to settle in a first world country like millions of Desis.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

I lived in USA for 7 years before moving to Australia on PR due to long GC queue for Indians and I can tell you that Australia is just a village compared to USA with better health care and less gun violence. I had better pay, lived in way better houses with centralized heating, drove on wider and well-connected highways at a much faster speed, had cheaper everything, more variety, better bbq, had way lot of things to do and that too at a cheaper rate. So I can understand why people prefer to go to ‘Murica.

I agree though I have not lived in USA but traveled there.
USA is a land of opportunities and much better wages for people with skills. I am a Software engineer who has worked for Microsoft and I still get calls for E3 visa from Uber/ Facebook etc.
but I still would not go there due to crazy gun laws. I was almost shot at in a suburb by a white guy using his driveway during turning car around. I am not going to that loony land.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

1) you are right to say his aim was to get settled in US and this is just a means to and end. Clearly he has no passions to want to represent the US.

2) why do you say he struck gold? Yes he will get a US citizenship eventually if all goes to plan but why is that be all and end all. He will be confined to the dustbins of history in a few years and people will quickly forget about him. Already people have moved on asides from OP and a few others. And all this for what? A few years of hundred grand and then what? If he’d stuck around Pakistan and broken back into the national team then his ceiiing would have been much much higher. Do you think for eg. Babar or Rizwan would give up Pakistan cricket team if he’s handed a US citizenship tomorrow? Andre is no.

Gold in terms of his personal goals. Personally I think he was an idiot.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

The point 2 would depend on how close he was/is to Pakistan team. May be he thinks he don’t have much of a chance to make it to Pakistan team and wants to settle in a first world country like millions of Desis.

Very close. He would probably have been called for opening instead of Imran Butt or at least called as third opener.

 

[viveks]

Those examples were all mainstays in the team before they moved I presume. I mean how can you select someone who isn't playing any high level cricket. Unless Aslam is playing domestic leagues somewhere then Pakistan would be dumb to select him

 

[BunnyRabbit]

1) you are right to say his aim was to get settled in US and this is just a means to and end. Clearly he has no passions to want to represent the US.

2) why do you say he struck gold? Yes he will get a US citizenship eventually if all goes to plan but why is that be all and end all. He will be confined to the dustbins of history in a few years and people will quickly forget about him. Already people have moved on asides from OP and a few others. And all this for what? A few years of hundred grand and then what? If he’d stuck around Pakistan and broken back into the national team then his ceiiing would have been much much higher. Do you think for eg. Babar or Rizwan would give up Pakistan cricket team if he’s handed a US citizenship tomorrow? Andre is no.

Maybe he doesn't want to be remembered by fans etc. He may have just moved to USA to find a more comfortable life with good assurance. It's his personal decision, it's nothing like he owes to fans or stuff. It's his decision and he may do whatever he thinks is better for him. Why would you so much want to tell him that his decision is not good etc etc?

 

[Gotham Cronie]

This has to be a troll thread. Nobody can be this daft to compare Sami Aslam with those examples in the OP.

 

[leg-side-flick]

This has to be a troll thread. Nobody can be this daft to compare Sami Aslam with those examples in the OP.

..

Junaids gave tons of examples of ATG cricketers living outside their home countries and also gave the pin codes of their old addresses but didn't bother to check if they had just moved residence or in fact changed their employers as well..

And now the argument is that one should not settle in US and leave ones homeland..

Crazy arguments for playing Sami Aslam as opener for Pakistan....

 

[Shoaibbtt]

If Sami Aslam leaves that's his choice and it's not a sign of being a "traitor" to live outside your home country. If someone chooses to live in the U.S/U.K/Australia then that is their choice and it shouldn't be an obligation that you stay in your home country.

Sami Aslam performed in the 2019/20 QeA season yes but didn't really do much this recent season (perhaps he was mulling the U.S move or just uninterested?).

 

[UzmanBeast]

If Sami Aslam was still playing in Pakistan's domestic system, he'd have gotten a call-up ahead of Imran Butt.

He left and fortune favored Imran, though Sami is still the better opener.

Sami knows that his impatience cost him a chance to get into the Pakistan setup, and that's on him.

Even if he comes back to play for Pakistan, I doubt the selectors would just welcome him with open arms.

He's only 25, so he could realistically have waited for another year or so before making this type of decision. Cricket USA is also smart in providing a lucrative offer, and doing so at a time where Sami was likely to accept it.

 

[Maher96]

He messed up because he spoke.

You must remain silent.

 

[Slog]

If Sami Aslam was still playing in Pakistan's domestic system, he'd have gotten a call-up ahead of Imran Butt.

He left and fortune favored Imran, though Sami is still the better opener.

Sami knows that his impatience cost him a chance to get into the Pakistan setup, and that's on him.

Even if he comes back to play for Pakistan, I doubt the selectors would just welcome him with open arms.

He's only 25, so he could realistically have waited for another year or so before making this type of decision. Cricket USA is also smart in providing a lucrative offer, and doing so at a time where Sami was likely to accept it.

Is the offer lucrative tho? If he had waited around, gotten a call up and then become a regular part of the first team then his potential earnings would have been significantly higher.

In the US his current $100k or so contract is lower than what a regular Pak national team cricketer earns in a year. And this is not even taking into account cost of living differential. Straight comparisons. And the worst thing is that this contract is probably likely to be the best contract he’s gonna get in the US. The market isn’t lucrative. What will most likely happen is that he will disappear into oblivion and be found working in a dollar store like that Aaroh singer all those years ago.

Sami Aslam clearly jumped the gun. He should have stuck around a few more years when he approaches 30 and then taken such a decision.

Anyways best of luck to him. Going by his Instagram profile he seems well travelled and doesn’t seem one of those paindu cricketers we see often so may be he has thought it all out.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

I agree though I have not lived in USA but traveled there.
USA is a land of opportunities and much better wages for people with skills. I am a Software engineer who has worked for Microsoft and I still get calls for E3 visa from Uber/ Facebook etc.
but I still would not go there due to crazy gun laws. I was almost shot at in a suburb by a white guy using his driveway during turning car around. I am not going to that loony land.

Not surprised by that story, it often happens there. Glad you are ok though

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Is the offer lucrative tho? If he had waited around, gotten a call up and then become a regular part of the first team then his potential earnings would have been significantly higher.

In the US his current $100k or so contract is lower than what a regular Pak national team cricketer earns in a year. And this is not even taking into account cost of living differential. Straight comparisons. And the worst thing is that this contract is probably likely to be the best contract he’s gonna get in the US. The market isn’t lucrative. What will most likely happen is that he will disappear into oblivion and be found working in a dollar store like that Aaroh singer all those years ago.

Sami Aslam clearly jumped the gun. He should have stuck around a few more years when he approaches 30 and then taken such a decision.

Anyways best of luck to him. Going by his Instagram profile he seems well travelled and doesn’t seem one of those paindu cricketers we see often so may be he has thought it all out.

It's Pakistan's years of nepotism and favoritism that is coming back to bite them in the **you know where**. However, despite that Sami should've been patient he would've got the nod in the next series because of Imran failing in this one.

This is why i always say give domestic performers chances, this is not about cricket but about humanity as well. All cricketers have a dream to raise their bat/ball to the gallery and achieve individual records for their country. I mean Azhar Ali had 12 innings in a row with no 50/100 and that to me is unjustified and would make anyone in the domestic circuit mad because they wouldn't ever dream of getting that many opportunities.

 

[Saj]

By all accounts USA is going to be the next big thing when it comes to money in cricket, so if that does materialise, expect more cricketers to head there.

In fact, a number of Pakistani cricketers have already expressed an interest with USA Cricket.

 

[Slog]

It's Pakistan's years of nepotism and favoritism that is coming back to bite them in the **you know where**. However, despite that Sami should've been patient he would've got the nod in the next series because of Imran failing in this one.

This is why i always say give domestic performers chances, this is not about cricket but about humanity as well. All cricketers have a dream to raise their bat/ball to the gallery and achieve individual records for their country. I mean Azhar Ali had 12 innings in a row with no 50/100 and that to me is unjustified and would make anyone in the domestic circuit mad because they wouldn't ever dream of getting that many opportunities.

Sami Aslam leaving is definitely not coming back to bite Pakistan. Sami Aslam is not some generational talent. His ceiling is similar to many 33-36 averaging openers the likes of which we have seen dime a dozen.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Sami Aslam leaving is definitely not coming back to bite Pakistan. Sami Aslam is not some generational talent. His ceiling is similar to many 33-36 averaging openers the likes of which we have seen dime a dozen.

I remember in domestic him and Babar used to have great partnerships. I would've still backed him and would've been curious to see Sami 2.0, all i'm saying is that respect your talent and from the job Wasim is doing these days he's doing exactly that.

 

[azimiqbal]

Only way to stop future cricketers moving there is, to better reward our cricketers financially

It’s simple math!

 

[msb314]

Sami Aslam leaving is definitely not coming back to bite Pakistan. Sami Aslam is not some generational talent. His ceiling is similar to many 33-36 averaging openers the likes of which we have seen dime a dozen.

At the U19 level - he was rated just as highly as Babar Azam.

Sad to see his international career did not pan out as he would have thought..

 

[msb314]

1) you are right to say his aim was to get settled in US and this is just a means to and end. Clearly he has no passions to want to represent the US.

2) why do you say he struck gold? Yes he will get a US citizenship eventually if all goes to plan but why is that be all and end all. He will be confined to the dustbins of history in a few years and people will quickly forget about him. Already people have moved on asides from OP and a few others. And all this for what? A few years of hundred grand and then what? If he’d stuck around Pakistan and broken back into the national team then his ceiiing would have been much much higher. Do you think for eg. Babar or Rizwan would give up Pakistan cricket team if he’s handed a US citizenship tomorrow? Andre is no.

Hard to say..

I personally think Sami Aslam has pretty much quit cricket. This $100K contract drama is just a smokescreen for him to get a Green Card. He will quit that league soon afterwards and probably live a normal suburban life like the rest of us..

It’s his choice so no shame in that although hopefully he can pursue higher education if he does want to leave cricket..

Regarding Babar Azam - he is already a superstar (by Pakistani standards) and already earns millions. With the lower cost of living in Lahore - I would highly doubt he would emigrate anywhere else during his playing days..

Rizwan may consider it but he is also almost guaranteed to be a starter in all formats plus a lucrative PSL contract. Unlikely he would emigrate either..

 

[Ilan Bluestone]

I think people are being a bit hard on Sami.

He has to make money and put food on the table. If that means the US then so be it

I get the whole he should have been quieter about it, but sometimes you can make the right decision with the wrong attitude.

 

[Junaids]

..

Junaids gave tons of examples of ATG cricketers living outside their home countries and also gave the pin codes of their old addresses but didn't bother to check if they had just moved residence or in fact changed their employers as well..

And now the argument is that one should not settle in US and leave ones homeland..

Crazy arguments for playing Sami Aslam as opener for Pakistan....

OK, let me add more detail to my original post.

Shakib-al-Hasan emigrated from Bangladesh to the USA around 5 years ago. He lives in Milwaukee, you only have to look on social media to see his wife's birthday present Mercedes wrapped up in a ribbon, with Wisconsin registration plates.

The greatest ever West Indian captain was Clive Lloyd. But he is from Guyana which is the poorest and least advanced part of the West Indies - it's actually a chunk of jungle on the South American mainland, with a single poor and backward town.

Lloyd was the captain of the West Indies from 1974-1985. But he had actually emigrated to the UK a couple of years earlier, and throughout his time as skipper he lived in Cheadle Hulme just outside Manchester, where his kids went to school.

Lloyd was a dual national, as he obtained British citizenship - technically regained it as it predated the 1981 British Nationality Act - and had moved so totally from being Guyanese to British that he was a Guest Speaker at a 1983 election rally for Margaret Thatcher.

So I'm really not seeing why Sami Aslam cannot go home every November to play QEA for a month, then spend 6-8 weeks per year playing Tests for Pakistan if his performances remain better than any other Pakistan opener. He would still spend 9 months of the year in the USA as per his Green Card requirements.

Some of you may recall that my maternal family is from Yorkshire while my father was born in Dacca in 1940 and "returned" to the UK after he finished his education in Dacca, mainly at St Gregory's High School.

It's a common joke in our family that if I was any good at cricket I could have played for England, Bangladesh, India or Pakistan.

This is common in international sport.

Ryan Giggs played for Wales, but was eligible to play for England....or Sierra Leone.

Ross Barkley plays for England.....but could have played for Nigeria, just as Victor Moses actually does.

Deon Burton and Robbie Earle played for Jamaica in spite of being 100% English.

Vinnie Jones captained Wales, although his only link was one grandparent being born there.

Sami Aslam has a far stronger claim than any of those sportsmen to keep representing his country. Sure, he can be an economic migrant to the USA and spend 40 weeks per year there. But he can do that while playing every QEA match and every Test match for Pakistan if he is good enough to get into the team.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Is the offer lucrative tho? If he had waited around, gotten a call up and then become a regular part of the first team then his potential earnings would have been significantly higher.

In the US his current $100k or so contract is lower than what a regular Pak national team cricketer earns in a year. And this is not even taking into account cost of living differential. Straight comparisons. And the worst thing is that this contract is probably likely to be the best contract he’s gonna get in the US. The market isn’t lucrative. What will most likely happen is that he will disappear into oblivion and be found working in a dollar store like that Aaroh singer all those years ago.

Sami Aslam clearly jumped the gun. He should have stuck around a few more years when he approaches 30 and then taken such a decision.

Anyways best of luck to him. Going by his Instagram profile he seems well travelled and doesn’t seem one of those paindu cricketers we see often so may be he has thought it all out.

Offer was lucrative in the sense that compared to the domestic earnings, it was quite a lot greater.

He missed the opportunity to cash in, and his impatience is to blame. You might see him acting all happy on social media, but part of him knows what opportunity he missed out on.

However, he made the individual decision, so best of luck to him.

 

[cricketAXEpert]

I have been struggling in recent weeks to process the reaction to Sami Aslam moving to the USA.

It was - from a cricketing point of view - a foolish decision. He is clearly the Pakistan opener with the best technique and the best record overseas. When Shan Masood was passed over for the captaincy he took with him any cricketing argument for why he should be in the team. With Abid Ali averaging 17.71 against the combined forces of England, New Zealand, South Africa and Bangladesh, and with Imran Butt clearly out of his depth, Sami Aslam should have been next in line.

But as we all know, he took a $100,000 contract to play in the USA. He effectively moved overseas for a better life. And now he is considered to have made himself unselectable.

But why is he unselectable? Why is this viewed now as treachery, as treason?

Where does Shakib-al-Hasan live? Milwaukee, in Wisconsin, in the USA.

Where did Clive Lloyd live for the entire time that he captained the West Indies? Cheadle Hulme, on the outskirts of Manchester.

Did Imran Khan live in Pakistan when he captained Pakistan? No, he lived in Hove, on the outskirts of Brighton. That's why he played no domestic cricket in Pakistan - he used to fly home just before a series.

What about Wasim Akram? He lived in Altrincham, also on the outskirts of Manchester.

But let's bring it forward to the present day.

I know for a fact that Waqar Younis lives in Sydney, having grown up in Sharjah. But he is considered eligible to be the bowling coach for Pakistan. And I'm pretty sure that Pakistan have been carrying Shoaib Malik around the cricket world even though he lives in Dubai.

And this phenomenon is not restricted to players from Third World countries. Sir Andrew Strauss was the England team supremo when he actually lived in Victoria, Australia.

So why is Sami Aslam treated as a traitor for doing something that is so common across the cricket world?

Sami Aslam would have played for Pakistan against South Africa in place of Imran Butt. But he made a bad choice at the worst possible time. Opening Slots (both of them) are open in the test side as Both Abid Ali and Imran Butt have failed to put up a single half decent score. Shan Masood is not a good choice to go back too. This was the Golden opportunity Sami Aslam was waiting for but alas he miss it completely.

Now he can't be considered as he broke his domestic contract and Left to play for a foreign league without NOC so he ruined it for himself.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I think people are being a bit hard on Sami.

He has to make money and put food on the table. If that means the US then so be it

I get the whole he should have been quieter about it, but sometimes you can make the right decision with the wrong attitude.

There’sa difference between wanting to put food on the table (which Sami can do already) and bumping your salary by a hundred notches.

You’re right that he made a decision that was financially lucrative and that’s his decision to make. The truth is, he has essentially put a price on his desire to play for Pakistan.

Every man has his price, and the price it took Sami to give up on his dreams of being the first great Pakistan opener after Saeed Anwar was $100,000 a year for 3-5 years coupled with a blue passport. Fair enough.

But it should also be fair for Pakistani fans to rile on his patriotism, which seems unfortunately lacking.

Also note, tangentially speaking, that there was no real injustice done with Sami in the domestic circuit. He had a habit of breaking rules and disagreeing with his coaches, and throwing a hissy fit if he didn’t get what he wanted.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

OK, let me add more detail to my original post.

Shakib-al-Hasan emigrated from Bangladesh to the USA around 5 years ago. He lives in Milwaukee, you only have to look on social media to see his wife's birthday present Mercedes wrapped up in a ribbon, with Wisconsin registration plates.

I don’t think you understand. Shakib married an American girl. Unless you have an American-born desi (Pakistani) muslim girl and would like to play the role of rishta auntie (older women who arrange marriages) and provide Sami a backdoor into American citizenship, Sami’s only other means of getting an American green card is this contract with the US cricket board, thus preventing him from playing for Pakistan.

I’m certain he’d love a marriage offer, though, to be honest.

 

[Slog]

OK, let me add more detail to my original post.

Shakib-al-Hasan emigrated from Bangladesh to the USA around 5 years ago. He lives in Milwaukee, you only have to look on social media to see his wife's birthday present Mercedes wrapped up in a ribbon, with Wisconsin registration plates.

The greatest ever West Indian captain was Clive Lloyd. But he is from Guyana which is the poorest and least advanced part of the West Indies - it's actually a chunk of jungle on the South American mainland, with a single poor and backward town.

Lloyd was the captain of the West Indies from 1974-1985. But he had actually emigrated to the UK a couple of years earlier, and throughout his time as skipper he lived in Cheadle Hulme just outside Manchester, where his kids went to school.

Lloyd was a dual national, as he obtained British citizenship - technically regained it as it predated the 1981 British Nationality Act - and had moved so totally from being Guyanese to British that he was a Guest Speaker at a 1983 election rally for Margaret Thatcher.

So I'm really not seeing why Sami Aslam cannot go home every November to play QEA for a month, then spend 6-8 weeks per year playing Tests for Pakistan if his performances remain better than any other Pakistan opener. He would still spend 9 months of the year in the USA as per his Green Card requirements.

Some of you may recall that my maternal family is from Yorkshire while my father was born in Dacca in 1940 and "returned" to the UK after he finished his education in Dacca, mainly at St Gregory's High School.

It's a common joke in our family that if I was any good at cricket I could have played for England, Bangladesh, India or Pakistan.

This is common in international sport.

Ryan Giggs played for Wales, but was eligible to play for England....or Sierra Leone.

Ross Barkley plays for England.....but could have played for Nigeria, just as Victor Moses actually does.

Deon Burton and Robbie Earle played for Jamaica in spite of being 100% English.

Vinnie Jones captained Wales, although his only link was one grandparent being born there.

Sami Aslam has a far stronger claim than any of those sportsmen to keep representing his country. Sure, he can be an economic migrant to the USA and spend 40 weeks per year there. But he can do that while playing every QEA match and every Test match for Pakistan if he is good enough to get into the team.

Again. You clearly have zero understanding of the issue in hand.

Sami Aslam’s deal in the US ensures that he cannot play for Pakistan again. Even if PCB wanted him to play for Pakistan; Sami Aslam’s contract entails that he can never play for Pakistan again. This is the deal he chose knowing fully well the consequences. So your essay is pointless. None of the comparisons you gave had such an issue in hand. If he plays for Pakistan his USA contract will be cancelled along with many other legal issues I’m sure. He has made his decision and tbh it’s a fair decision in the sense that he recognizes his ceiling.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

I have no idea why long essays are written on such a trivial thing... he does not want to represent Pakistan, So he took a deal and left the country for greener pastures. Simple as that.

 

[Saj]

Only time will tell if he made the right move.

I'm sure other players in Pakistan are waiting to see how things turn out for Sami.

At the moment, he's getting paid for playing no cricket.

 

[volcyz]

USA the retirement home bubble till it bursts in a few years

 

[Kroll]

Sami's been out of the Pakistan picture for some time. He's been treated poorly and I can understand his sentiments for wanting to bail.