Former UAE pacer Asad’s tryst with Pakistan team

Sharjah: Ali Asad Abbas, who was once UAE’s fastest bowler, was seen bowling to the Pakistan players in the nets at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

He would have become one of Pakistan’s international players had luck favoured him during his young days.

Asad is one among the many Pakistan players, who despite their enormous talent, could never get the break into the national team.

For Asad, bowling to the Pakistani players was a nostalgic trip to the days when he used to play alongside Pakistan Test stars in the early 1990s.

He was once even part of the Pakistan A team in 1995-96 against New Zealand.

“The team had players like Saqlain Mushtaq, Saleem Elahi, Azhar Mahmood and Rana Naveed. It was great to have played alongside them, but I was unable to get a break and so I came to the UAE nearly twenty years ago,” he told Gulf News.

Asad was invited by a PCB official to bowl to Pakistan players. While at the ground Asad was stopped by a security man who little knew he had once been UAE’s opening bowler and had produced great spells here.

The tall and lanky Asad once bagged nine wickets in the inaugural International Cricket Council Intercontinental Cup against Nepal on this ground. Luck did not favour him once again as he failed to bag all ten wickets in an innings in first class cricket as two catches were put down off his bowling.

“Some of the players in the present Pakistan team were my juniors when I was playing domestic cricket in Pakistan. Shoaib Malek is one I played alongside in the present Pakistan team” said Asad who at 39 is six years elder to Malek.

Asad had played in the same club of the Pakistan team coach Waqar Younis when he was young. “Waqar was senior to me, but played for the same club Panther Tigers team (PNT). He was our team ambassador. Saeed Anwar also played for that club and it was a pleasure to play with them.”

Asad represented UAE in two One-Day Internationals and among his victims is Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya whom he trapped leg before in the 2004 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. “I coach at the Al Madina Cricket Academy though I work as a banker,” said Asad, who was delighted to be with his country’s team that he once dreamt to play for as a youngster.