Courtesy: X
On Thursday, October 3, Usman Qadir, the son of legendary Abdul Qadir, announced his shock retirement from Pakistan cricket in a post on the social media platform X. The decision from the 31-year-old, who bowls leg spin just like his father, came four years after he had first played for Pakistan cricket team at the international level following his return from Australia, where he was plying his trade in the domestic cricket scene.
Notably, during his international career, Usman Qadir played one ODI and 25 T20Is for Pakistan, picking up one and 31 wickets respectively in both the formats. He became the player of the series against Zimbabwe in 2020 for taking eight wickets in three matches, which coincided with his debut T20I match for Pakistan at home, which led to him keeping Shadab Khan at bay in the first XI for some time.
It has been an immense honour to represent my country: Usman Qadir
In the latest post on his X account, Usman Qadir expressed gratitude for representing Pakistan at the international level while announcing his retirement from cricket in the country. The excerpts of his social media post read, “Today, I am announcing my retirement from Pakistan cricket. As I reflect on this unforgettable journey, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. It has been an immense honour to represent my country, and I'm thankful for the support of my coaches and team-mates who have been with me every step of the way.”
As per the report from ESPNcricinfo, Usman Qadir was unlikely to play for Pakistan until 2018, as he had planned to represent Australia at the international level. But as fate would have had it, he was caught overspeeding in Australia in 2019 before being summoned by court, following which he was named in Pakistan’s squad for a series in Australia despite not commenting about playing for his country of birth publicly.
Ultimately, Usman Qadir went on to reveal that he decided to represent Pakistan after his father Abdul Qadir had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Moreover, he also wrote in his retirement post, “As I step into this new chapter, I will be continuing my dad's legacy, embracing both my love for cricket and the lessons he instilled in me. I carry with me the spirit of Pakistan cricket and the cherished memories we created together.”
