Usama Mir captured the headlines recently as the highest wicket taker in the Super8 Twenty20 tournament when he captured eleven wickets and played a pivotal role in his side Sialkot Stallions' victorious campaign. A leg-break bowler, Mir at 19 years of age has an impressive record with 12 wickets in 9 T20 matches and has already impressed fans and selectors.
Regarded by many as a fine prospect for a place in the senior team, Mir spoke with PakPassion.net about his passion for cricket from a young age, his fine performance in the Super8 Twenty20 tournament, his admiration for his Sialkot Stallions captain Shoaib Malik and his future aspirations.
PakPassion.net : In Pakistan youngsters usually want to be pace bowlers or batsmen, what made you want to bowl leg spin?
Usama Mir : My brother Saad and I have always been very fond of cricket and started playing from a very young age in our house. However our house was small so there wasn’t enough room to run up and bowl fast so my parents told us that if we wanted to play cricket in the house we would have to bowl slowly. At that time I would just bowl slow and try to spin the ball, but it was only later that I realised I had been bowling leg spin all that time.
PakPassion.net : So what about the progress from playing in your house to being noticed by regional selectors?
Usama Mir : Zahid Fazal the former Pakistan batsman spotted me bowling at a local match and he told me that I should go for trials and join the Amir Waseem Cricket Academy in Sialkot. I owe Zahid Fazal a lot, firstly for spotting me and then for recommending me to the former first class cricketer and left-arm spinner Amir Waseem. It all began seriously for me once I joined the academy as I went from a raw young kid who bowled a bit of leg-spin to becoming a professional cricketer and I cannot thank Amir Waseem enough for all of his hard work and guidance.
PakPassion.net : Tell us a bit more about the Amir Waseem Cricket Academy?
Usama Mir : It’s the academy in Sialkot which produces most of the first-class cricketers from the region. It has produced cricketers like Shoaib Malik. It’s a fantastic environment and a great place to learn about cricket, providing you are prepared to put in the hard work.
PakPassion.net : What do you feel are the key attributes a good leg-spinner needs to have to be successful?
Usama Mir : I think leg-spin is a unique art. Having said that though, like any other facet of cricket you have to be prepared to put in a lot of hard work. With bowling leg-spin you have to accept that some days it won’t go perfectly but you have to remain positive and keep on working on your bowling. I think it’s all about bowling lots and lots of deliveries and trying to perfect your varieties, as if you don’t have the variety then you won’t be successful.
PakPassion.net : Who have been your cricketing role-models and heroes?
Usama Mir : When I first started playing cricket my hero and role-model was Shahid Afridi. I tried to copy his bowling action and also copy his batting. I tried to copy everything about Shahid Afridi. But then when I started to play for Sialkot region at various levels Shoaib Malik became the cricketer that inspired me and the cricketer who guided me in terms of tactics, game awareness and technical aspects of the game.
PakPassion.net : Watching you bowl at the recent Super8 Twenty20 tournament, it seemed like you have all the varieties a leg-spinner needs. Do you feel that’s the case?
Usama Mir : The leg-spinner has always been my natural delivery and one that I could bowl from a very young age. The googly is a delivery that I’ve had to work very hard on to bowl and to improve. It’s the delivery that didn’t come naturally to me and one that my coaches and I have spent a lot of time improving. I’ve felt comfortable working on one delivery at a time during my early cricketing years and once I learnt the googly, then I moved onto the flipper and I’m continuing to work on the flipper to this day. I feel that hard work and patience are very important.
PakPassion.net : With all due respect, nobody would have predicted that you would be the leading wicket-taker at the Super 8 Twenty20 tournament. Why do you think the tournament went so well?
Usama Mir : The team management and skipper Shoaib Malik really instilled a lot of confidence in me and gave me a lot of self-belief. Ahead of the tournament they said to me you are our best bowler and we want you to bowl like you are the best bowler. Shoaib Malik really boosted my confidence and whilst I’ve played under a lot of captains, I have to say that Shoaib Malik really is the best captain and a great man-manager.
PakPassion.net : As luck would have it, you may not even have played in this tournament if other Sialkot spinners had been available?
Usama Mir : That’s so true. That’s the beauty of cricket, you sometimes get an opportunity when you don’t expect and you have to make the most of that chance.
PakPassion.net : Sialkot Stallions are almost unbeatable in Twenty20 tournaments. Why do you think they are so successful in this format?
Usama Mir : Shoaib Malik deserves a lot credit for this. He gives the players a lot of game-awareness and gives everyone an important role in the team and also gives all the boys a lot of backing and confidence. Ahead of this tournament a lot of people were saying that the Lahore Lions team is much stronger and would win the tournament with ease, but we won as went into the tournament with a positive attitude, strong game plan and a great team spirit.
PakPassion.net : Sialkot seems to be producing a lot of talented cricketers at the moment, why do you think that is?
Usama Mir : There is a lot of talent in the region and we are blessed to have that talent, But there is also a lot of hunger and passion to succeed in cricket at the highest level. In addition, there is a lot of competition for places even in club teams, but above all there is the mindset of hard work and commitment. The boys from Sialkot know that nothing will come easy for them so they are prepared to put in the effort rather than just hoping that they will succeed.
PakPassion.net : Mukhtar Ahmed is someone who has started his international career so well. He must be an inspiration to a lot of cricketers in Sialkot?
Usama Mir : I’m absolutely delighted for him, he’s a really nice guy and someone who deserves a lot of credit and success. I was praying that he succeeds and I’m really pleased for him. He’s such a hard working cricketer who has performed well wherever he has played. He has shown the Sialkot players that if you really put your mind to it, you can go on and play for your country and do well.
PakPassion.net : There’s a lot of competition in the spin bowling department for Pakistan at the moment. Are you up for the challenge?
Usama Mir : I think if I get the opportunity to play for Pakistan then I will succeed. Yes there is a lot of competition at the moment as Pakistan is blessed with a lot of spin bowlers of a very good standard, but I think if you want to play for your country then you have to be able to see off the competition. My main focus at the moment is to continue to mature as a bowler, improve and then see where that leads me. The target is of course to play for Pakistan, but I feel that I need to focus on one step at a time.
PakPassion.net : You never really made the headlines at Pakistan Under 19 level, why was that?
Usama Mir : I was close to being called up for the previous Under 19 World Cup, but unfortunately I was banned for a year, which meant I had to miss the Under 19 World Cup. If that hadn’t happened then it was likely that I would have been picked for this tournament.
PakPassion.net : Why were you banned?
Usama Mir : There was some confusion over selection issues and rules. There is a rule by the PCB that you cannot play Under 19 cricket for more than three seasons and what happened was that I played in a match where I bowled a couple of overs and it was my fourth year at that level. I had no clue about that rule at the time and neither did any of our officials or coaching staff.
PakPassion.net : You’ve become very well known due to your performances at the Super 8 Twenty20 tournament, what are the short term and long term plans now?
Usama Mir : I’ve been working with Mushtaq Ahmed at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore recently and that will continue. That is a fantastic opportunity for me to work with such a great leg-spinner. I’m not the finished article, there are areas of my bowling that I need to improve upon and with the help of Mushtaq Ahmed I am looking to eradicate those errors. Waqar Younis has also been to watch me bowl and has been keeping a close eye on my bowling at the NCA and he’s spoken to me also which was a great boost for my confidence.
I’m looking forward to the domestic season this time around as I feel that I am an improved bowler and a more confident one. I want to succeed not only in the twenty over format but also in one day and four day cricket too. The ultimate goal is to play for Pakistan and I hope I can achieve that goal one day.
Regarded by many as a fine prospect for a place in the senior team, Mir spoke with PakPassion.net about his passion for cricket from a young age, his fine performance in the Super8 Twenty20 tournament, his admiration for his Sialkot Stallions captain Shoaib Malik and his future aspirations.
PakPassion.net : In Pakistan youngsters usually want to be pace bowlers or batsmen, what made you want to bowl leg spin?
Usama Mir : My brother Saad and I have always been very fond of cricket and started playing from a very young age in our house. However our house was small so there wasn’t enough room to run up and bowl fast so my parents told us that if we wanted to play cricket in the house we would have to bowl slowly. At that time I would just bowl slow and try to spin the ball, but it was only later that I realised I had been bowling leg spin all that time.
PakPassion.net : So what about the progress from playing in your house to being noticed by regional selectors?
Usama Mir : Zahid Fazal the former Pakistan batsman spotted me bowling at a local match and he told me that I should go for trials and join the Amir Waseem Cricket Academy in Sialkot. I owe Zahid Fazal a lot, firstly for spotting me and then for recommending me to the former first class cricketer and left-arm spinner Amir Waseem. It all began seriously for me once I joined the academy as I went from a raw young kid who bowled a bit of leg-spin to becoming a professional cricketer and I cannot thank Amir Waseem enough for all of his hard work and guidance.
PakPassion.net : Tell us a bit more about the Amir Waseem Cricket Academy?
Usama Mir : It’s the academy in Sialkot which produces most of the first-class cricketers from the region. It has produced cricketers like Shoaib Malik. It’s a fantastic environment and a great place to learn about cricket, providing you are prepared to put in the hard work.
PakPassion.net : What do you feel are the key attributes a good leg-spinner needs to have to be successful?
Usama Mir : I think leg-spin is a unique art. Having said that though, like any other facet of cricket you have to be prepared to put in a lot of hard work. With bowling leg-spin you have to accept that some days it won’t go perfectly but you have to remain positive and keep on working on your bowling. I think it’s all about bowling lots and lots of deliveries and trying to perfect your varieties, as if you don’t have the variety then you won’t be successful.
PakPassion.net : Who have been your cricketing role-models and heroes?
Usama Mir : When I first started playing cricket my hero and role-model was Shahid Afridi. I tried to copy his bowling action and also copy his batting. I tried to copy everything about Shahid Afridi. But then when I started to play for Sialkot region at various levels Shoaib Malik became the cricketer that inspired me and the cricketer who guided me in terms of tactics, game awareness and technical aspects of the game.
PakPassion.net : Watching you bowl at the recent Super8 Twenty20 tournament, it seemed like you have all the varieties a leg-spinner needs. Do you feel that’s the case?
Usama Mir : The leg-spinner has always been my natural delivery and one that I could bowl from a very young age. The googly is a delivery that I’ve had to work very hard on to bowl and to improve. It’s the delivery that didn’t come naturally to me and one that my coaches and I have spent a lot of time improving. I’ve felt comfortable working on one delivery at a time during my early cricketing years and once I learnt the googly, then I moved onto the flipper and I’m continuing to work on the flipper to this day. I feel that hard work and patience are very important.
PakPassion.net : With all due respect, nobody would have predicted that you would be the leading wicket-taker at the Super 8 Twenty20 tournament. Why do you think the tournament went so well?
Usama Mir : The team management and skipper Shoaib Malik really instilled a lot of confidence in me and gave me a lot of self-belief. Ahead of the tournament they said to me you are our best bowler and we want you to bowl like you are the best bowler. Shoaib Malik really boosted my confidence and whilst I’ve played under a lot of captains, I have to say that Shoaib Malik really is the best captain and a great man-manager.
PakPassion.net : As luck would have it, you may not even have played in this tournament if other Sialkot spinners had been available?
Usama Mir : That’s so true. That’s the beauty of cricket, you sometimes get an opportunity when you don’t expect and you have to make the most of that chance.
PakPassion.net : Sialkot Stallions are almost unbeatable in Twenty20 tournaments. Why do you think they are so successful in this format?
Usama Mir : Shoaib Malik deserves a lot credit for this. He gives the players a lot of game-awareness and gives everyone an important role in the team and also gives all the boys a lot of backing and confidence. Ahead of this tournament a lot of people were saying that the Lahore Lions team is much stronger and would win the tournament with ease, but we won as went into the tournament with a positive attitude, strong game plan and a great team spirit.
PakPassion.net : Sialkot seems to be producing a lot of talented cricketers at the moment, why do you think that is?
Usama Mir : There is a lot of talent in the region and we are blessed to have that talent, But there is also a lot of hunger and passion to succeed in cricket at the highest level. In addition, there is a lot of competition for places even in club teams, but above all there is the mindset of hard work and commitment. The boys from Sialkot know that nothing will come easy for them so they are prepared to put in the effort rather than just hoping that they will succeed.
PakPassion.net : Mukhtar Ahmed is someone who has started his international career so well. He must be an inspiration to a lot of cricketers in Sialkot?
Usama Mir : I’m absolutely delighted for him, he’s a really nice guy and someone who deserves a lot of credit and success. I was praying that he succeeds and I’m really pleased for him. He’s such a hard working cricketer who has performed well wherever he has played. He has shown the Sialkot players that if you really put your mind to it, you can go on and play for your country and do well.
PakPassion.net : There’s a lot of competition in the spin bowling department for Pakistan at the moment. Are you up for the challenge?
Usama Mir : I think if I get the opportunity to play for Pakistan then I will succeed. Yes there is a lot of competition at the moment as Pakistan is blessed with a lot of spin bowlers of a very good standard, but I think if you want to play for your country then you have to be able to see off the competition. My main focus at the moment is to continue to mature as a bowler, improve and then see where that leads me. The target is of course to play for Pakistan, but I feel that I need to focus on one step at a time.
PakPassion.net : You never really made the headlines at Pakistan Under 19 level, why was that?
Usama Mir : I was close to being called up for the previous Under 19 World Cup, but unfortunately I was banned for a year, which meant I had to miss the Under 19 World Cup. If that hadn’t happened then it was likely that I would have been picked for this tournament.
PakPassion.net : Why were you banned?
Usama Mir : There was some confusion over selection issues and rules. There is a rule by the PCB that you cannot play Under 19 cricket for more than three seasons and what happened was that I played in a match where I bowled a couple of overs and it was my fourth year at that level. I had no clue about that rule at the time and neither did any of our officials or coaching staff.
PakPassion.net : You’ve become very well known due to your performances at the Super 8 Twenty20 tournament, what are the short term and long term plans now?
Usama Mir : I’ve been working with Mushtaq Ahmed at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore recently and that will continue. That is a fantastic opportunity for me to work with such a great leg-spinner. I’m not the finished article, there are areas of my bowling that I need to improve upon and with the help of Mushtaq Ahmed I am looking to eradicate those errors. Waqar Younis has also been to watch me bowl and has been keeping a close eye on my bowling at the NCA and he’s spoken to me also which was a great boost for my confidence.
I’m looking forward to the domestic season this time around as I feel that I am an improved bowler and a more confident one. I want to succeed not only in the twenty over format but also in one day and four day cricket too. The ultimate goal is to play for Pakistan and I hope I can achieve that goal one day.
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