Twenty-three year old Adil Amin was recently identified as one of the top 10 finds of the Haier T20 cup and asked to take part in a special 3 day workshop at the NCA. 

By Farid Khan (8th October, 2014)

Full name Adil Amin

Born December 13, 1990, Peshawar

Current age 23 years

Major teams Pakistan Under-19s, Pakistan Under-21s, Peshawar, Peshawar Panthers

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Getting Into Cricket

I started playing cricket at school. Initially, I used to play tape ball cricket with my school mates as well as with people living in my area and later I played hard ball cricket towards the end of my school life. My interest in cricket grew and then I played for my college. I was selected for the Pakistan U19s and progressed. Now, I am playing at the First-Class level. Alhamdulillah, I was the top-scorer in the List A PCB event last year. In the recently concluded Haier T20 Cup, I was among the top 10 best performers. Apart from that, I have represented Pakistan U21s in the South Asian Games. Recently, I was named in the Pakistan 'A' squad, which will tour the UAE this month.


Role Models

Among Pakistan players, my role model has always been Mohammad Yousuf, and from the non-Pakistanis, I am a huge admirer of AB de Villiers. The reason behind being inspired by both of them is that they don't rely on the pitches and the conditions to score runs. No matter how difficult the pitch is to bat and how harsh the conditions may be, they just pile up runs. Their consistency is another aspect, which made me like them as players. Both of them have scored runs on a consistent basis.


Selection for U19s

I was selected for the Pakistan U19s through trials, which were held in Peshawar. I was named in the 40 probables and then we moved to Multan , where they had to finalise the team. Alhamdulillah, I did very well there in the trials and was selected in the final 15 players.


Selection for Peshawar Panthers

I was performing well at the U19 level and my performance was noticed by the regional coaches and selectors in Peshawar. They gave me an opportunity to perform at the First-Class level and on that basis I was selected for the T20 side of Peshawar Panthers.


Thoughts on playing in the Haier T20 Cup

It was an amazing experience for me to play in that event. It was the first time that Peshawar Panthers were able to win the National T20 event. It's a huge honour for the Peshawar region. And to top it all, I was named among the ten best players of that event by the PCB. All in all, it was a wonderful experience for me as well as for all the players.


Mood in the Peshawar Panthers camp

After winning that event, the mood in our camp was really upbeat. I feel the main reason of us winning the tournament was our unity. All the players gelled well. The management and the supporting staff did an excellent job. Each and every one of them backed us. Although, there was no international player in our squad, we were sure of our potential and we knew we could win this tournament, which we did.


Attending the 3 day workshop at NCA

As I mentioned above, I was named among the top 10 performers of the Haier T20 Cup. The PCB just wanted to make sure of our fitness level and our training regime. The focus of the camp was mainly on our fitness. They wanted to check if we were able to match the standards of international cricket. My fitness was fine, Alhamdulillah and my fielding was also decent during the sessions at the NCA.


Pakistan 'A' call-up

Yes, I am geared up for this assignment. I have been working hard of late and it's a big opportunity for me. Inshallah, I will try to do my best in the UAE. I just want to be able to play some part in the success of my team there. In future, I will hopefully be able to represent Pakistan by playing for the national team as well.


Lack of First-Class cricket

I was one of the top performers at the U19 level and from there I was given a direct route to First-Class cricket. However, I could not play First-Class cricket for three years after my debut. This was because the regional selectors thought it was better to try out the senior players first. Playing them was the priority at that time. When I got my chance, I availed it. I was the top performer at the List A level and my performance in the longer version was also noticeable.


Talent in Peshawar Panthers

There is a lot of talent in the Peshawar Panthers side. Mohammad Rizwan is a young and a very talented wicket-keeper. Zohaib Khan is a very fine all-rounder and plays for ZTBL. Rafatullah Mohmand is also an excellent player. Apart from them, there are a few others who can make a breakthrough in the future.


Invitation to play for departments

I am currently representing WAPDA in first-class cricket. Two other departments had also contacted me, but they were from the Silver league, so I thought it was better to play for the Gold league. I decided to represent the Peshawar region as according to me, the performance in the Gold league carries more weight.


Craze of Cricket in Peshawar

Peshawar is a very talented region, but there is a lack of grounds here. There are hardly three or four grounds, where we can play cricket. If we look at other cities, the facilities are a lot more and the standard is advanced. There are several grounds at the school level, but there is nothing like it here.


Future Aspirations

I am working very hard. My ultimate aim is to one day play for Pakistan. It's a big honour for any player to wear the cap of his country. I am doing my bit to be able to do it, which is working hard and the rest is with ALLAH to do.


Fitness and Training

Yes, I do take care of my fitness and do private training off season. I know the importance of staying fit. In the morning, I play football and do running with other players. In the evening, I do nets and then spend some time in the gym. This helps me stay fit and healthy.

Discuss!