Abdul Haq, a heavy-duty vehicle driver-cum-supervisor at a construction company in Abu Dhabi, rattled the stumps of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, opener Imran Farhat and rookie wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal during a training session on the sidelines of the second and final Test against South Africa, impressing Pakistan’s coaches Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed, both former Test pacers.
Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam, a former Test captain, also praised Haq for his express pace and said that he would make efforts to invite the bowler to Lahore for proper training.
“He showed a lot of pace and was very impressive. We would try to groom him,” said Intikhab adding that Haq can improve if he gets to train at the elite National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Haq said in an interview that he has always dreamt about playing for Pakistan. “It is my greatest desire to play for my country,” said Haq, who hails from Pakistan’s troubled tribal region of North Waziristan.
Haq, who was one of the few local bowlers requested by Pakistan to bowl at their nets session, played domestic cricket in Pakistan at the Under-19 level but was forced to move to UAE because of poverty. “I was playing cricket in Pakistan but was not making any money for my family. Now I earn about 100,000 rupees monthly here in UAE,” he said.
