Brain drain in cricket

Saad Ali, a promising left-handed batter, left Pakistan to play for USA

As per news reports, over 765,000 people left Pakistan in 2022 in search of better employment opportunities, lifestyle or merely essential facilities.

The situation is not much different when it comes to young cricketers in the country, who can spend some time in the foreign and get eligible to represent another flag on the international stage.

Numerous young and promising cricketers left Pakistan in the last couple of years, seeking better opportunities. These include former U19 captain Sami Aslam, talented all-rounder Hammad Azam, fast bowler Ehsan Adil and dynamic left-handed batter Saad Ali, to name a few.

Pakistan cricket is known for its unpredictability, on and off the field. From on-field performance to managerial affairs to the selection of teams, everything is unpredictable about Pakistan cricket.

Moreover, the government’s interference in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not allowed the game to grow and sustain itself. The rulers bring their own people at the top hierarchy to impose their decisions, affecting cricketers at every level.

When the world cup-winning captain Imran Khan became Prime Minister in 2018, he brought Ehsan Mani into power and shut down departmental sports, which heavily affected athletes across the board, especially cricketers.

The teams shrunk to 12 (one each of six associations in the two levels) to bring competitiveness. Ignoring the fact that the cricket-crazy nation of over 200 million needed more teams.

As a result, hundreds of cricketers went jobless and eventually opted to migrate from the country as they could not earn living. Some of them signed contracts in Europe, while many grabbed the chance offered by the United States of America.

Cricket is exponentially growing in the region, courtesy of Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis in the region, and with the introduction of Major League Cricket (MLC), the country would dream of competing at a higher level.

Karachi-born Saad represented Pakistan in two ODIs but was never given another opportunity to don Green. The 29-year-old had a reputation for being a dynamic batter, looking to score runs rather than just striving to stay on the wicket.

The 2017-2018 was a forgettable season for batters; however, the leftie batter stunned everyone by scoring 957 runs in 10 matches, more than 200 runs ahead of the second-highest run-getter of the season.

The Quetta Gladiators batter remained the top-scorer for Karachi Whites in the 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam One Day Cup, with 243 runs in five matches. He was also the leading run-scorer for Peshawar in the 2018–19 National T20 Cup, with 183 runs in four matches.

Rewarding him for consistently piling up runs in domestic tournaments, he was named in Pakistan’s Test squad for their tours to Ireland and England in May 2018. However, he did not play a game. The board also handed him a central contract for the 2018–19 season.

Later, he was again included in the squad to take on New Zealand, but instead, was sent to represent Pakistan in the 2018 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

Before the 2019 World Cup, he finally made his debut against Australia in ODI cricket. He played two games, scoring 11 runs. And that was it. He was never selected for the Pakistan team again and was dropped without any reason.

He played for Sindh after the revamped structure of domestic cricket and last played for them in August 2021.

Eventually, with a heavy heart, Saad took the most important decision of his life, quitting the dream of playing for Pakistan anymore as he signed a deal with USA cricket, packed his bags and left the country forever.

“I have fond memories as I have given more than a decade to Pakistan cricket,” said Saad while talking to Bol News. “I was sad while flying to America but due to some hardships, family reasons, closure of departments and not given ample opportunities, I decided to continue my cricket in the USA.”

He complained that he was never respected for his performances in the First Class and List A games, maintaining that he was inducted in the squad just to warm the bench while everyone around him got chances.

Saad revealed that former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur had promised to give him a spot soon, but it was never fulfilled. He claimed that selection in Pakistan cricket is heavily influenced by personal liking and disliking.

“When I was part of the squad, I saw players getting picked from nowhere. I used to think that I am being called in camps but still not getting any chance,” he said.

“It’s 100 percent true that one cannot play cricket without favouritism in Pakistan. If one doesn’t have good terms with a selector or an authoritative person, he cannot play no matter how good he is. We have a recent example of Kamran Ghulam, who scored 1,200 runs in domestic and still has not made his debut.”

It has been 18 months since Saad moved to the USA, but in a sad state of affairs, no one bothered to ask this promising cricketer why or where he was moving.

“I only consulted my family and Azam [Khan] Bhai only. Azam Bhai has taught me how to play and shown me the world of cricket,” he stated.

Despite being born and brought up in Karachi and dreaming to play for Pakistan his whole life, he was so disheartened by the system in the country that when he was presented with an opportunity to play for the USA, he did not think twice.

“My bread and butter is cricket,” he said. “I was playing league cricket in the USA when I was offered a contract. Without any hesitation, I signed the offer and after getting the visa, I left.”

Saad is happy with the decision he made and he feels he has a bright future here. According to him, if everything goes as planned, he will be representing the USA on the grandest stage in 2024.

He hailed the sporting culture of his new home and celebrates the respect and facilities he is given there. He feels the addition of MLC will take USA cricket to a whole new level as top cricketing stars from around the world will feature in the tournament.

Moreover, contrary to the common perception that the USA does not have much competitive cricket, Saad shared that many players from Pakistan and other parts of the globe come to play domestic cricket in the region.

“There is more cricket being played in the USA than in Pakistan,” he claimed. “There is always a club match on the weekend while tournaments are being played every one or two months.

“Last month, US Open was played where big names like Martin Guptill and Samit Patel played. They give players all the facilities, handsome salaries and match and tournament fees.”