Vanishing before rising?

Hassan Khan’s brief journey from Gladiators to Qalandars to back in the nets fighting for a place

It is no secret that pursuing cricket as a career in Pakistan is a big gamble, simply because talent only gets you so far. It has happened often that we see an emerging player perform exceedingly well on the national level and even in T20 leagues of the caliber of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) but then they fade away into the shadows, visible in extended squads but never in the playing 11.

It makes one wonder what it really takes for one to make it to the top and then to stay there and run your course.

Hassan khan is one such example. In 2017, this young boy took the PSL by storm as he bowled and batted to perfection while representing the Quetta Gladiators.

His name soon started emerging in the circuit as one of the top PSL finds. However, his success with the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led franchise was short-lived. After a couple of years with the Gladiators, Hassan was picked up by the Lahore Qalandars, all the while waiting to make his International debut.

Soon after, he was dropped from the Qalandars team as well and now, he hasn’t been able to make his way into any squad as none of the franchises picked him in the drafts for the current season.

With a batting average of 19.40, 388 runs to his name in first-class cricket, a bowling average of 35 and an economy rate of 3.23 alongside 31 wickets to his name in just 15 matches, it makes one wonder what more was required of a youngster like him to play feature in national colours for Pakistan.

Some say it’s a bad patch, others say it’s an injury, but what better way to hear from the horse’s mouth about what he believes his cricketing prospects are moving forward?

While speaking to Bol News on the sidelines of a net practice, Hassan said: “I am not at all disappointed for not being picked in the PSL this year. I am still in the reserves and league cricket is unpredictable, any of the teams can need a replacement at any point so it is my job to be prepared for every possibility so that I can perform for them as well as for my own sake.”

The youngster did not seem bogged down by the delay in his international career and said that he has been working on both, his bowling and batting skills while training.

“I feel that once the time is right I will be asked to showcase my abilities and I need to be prepared for that so that no one can question my commitment to the sport,” he said.

“While my PSL stint with Quetta Gladiators was quite good, I don’t feel bad if I didn’t get a chance to perform in the league this year.

“I do not spend my time dwelling on these things rather I focus on what is in front of me at the very moment,” Hassan added, showing that age and maturity do not always go hand in hand and sometimes even at a younger age, with the right mentorship, people are able to keep a positive outlook towards such situations.

Organisational flaws

The left-arm spinner further talked about the fact that even though cricket is the most widely played sport in Pakistan, there is still a need for a lot of improvement in how players are managed by the board and how their skills are honed.

“Yes, it would have been ideal if the board or the National Cricket Academy (NCA) had something like that drawn up for individuals, but since that is not the case, it is up to the players to work on their skills themselves.”

He also added that better efforts could be made to facilitate the players who wish to improve their craft,

“The PCB does have off-season net practice camps for players every year and I believe they will have one this year as well after PSL.

“Other than that when players feel that they want to improve in a certain part of the game, they honestly have to make the effort themselves and work on their skills individually so that they can improve,” Hassan said while pointing out that the onus of responsibility for self-improvement lies with the player himself, rather than the team he is playing for.

Sarfaraz the mentor

Discussing the importance of Sarfaraz’s presence in the Quetta Gladiators team as a wicketkeeper, especially when the 24-year-old southpaw is bowling, Hassan said: “We were very lucky to have the likes of Sarfaraz Ahmed playing with us, both in Quetta Gladiators and in the National Cup T20 team. Because this meant that we got to talk to him and discuss our game with him and understand where we are lacking.

“And he is one of those players who gives you the time and attention to have those discussions and let you know how you can improve and work on your game. I personally feel very lucky to have had him by my side. Furthermore, he is a wicketkeeper so he can watch you bowl and can also analyse you better from behind the wickets.”

Trusting the process

Returning to the topic of his return to PSL and his prospects of an international debut, Hassan said that his task was only to keep working hard towards this goal.

“I think my job is simple, it is to keep my head down, my fitness at its prime and my skills sharp and fast so that whenever I am called in, be it T20Is, ODIs, Tests, or the PSL, I can show people how hard I’ve worked and enhanced my skillset. I am trusting Allah and the process and if everything works out the way I believe Allah has planned, I will return to the big stage.”

While it was refreshing to see that a young player has that much trust in the divine and his skill, this is not often the case. Such stories have not always had happy endings.

The list of names that once promised to be the emerging players for Pakistan and later turned out to be shooting stars is endless.

Who is to blame for it? Is it the board, the structure of cricket, or just the influx of new players? These questions arise time and again and are yet to be answered. The problems identified need to be fixed so that a talent like that of Hassan’s, does not continue to fade.