Peshawar Zalmi's Usman Qadir set to introduce 'surprise delivery' in PSL 2022

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi’s leg spinner Usman Qadir has said he is set to introduce a "surprise delivery" during the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The upcoming season of the country's biggest cricket tournament will kick off on January 27 in Karachi and conclude a month after in Lahore.

The 28-year-old cricketer told Geo.tv that he took a few tips from South Africa’s Imran Tahir during the previous two seasons of the PSL when he featured in Multan Sultans.

“To share the dressing room with Imran Tahir was a blessing for me, he gave me several tips and I have worked on them to improve myself,” he said.

"It is time for me to apply what I learnt from the South African," he added.

He said there is obviously something new in the bag for this season of the PSL but he wouldn't reveal the details or else others would get an idea about his strategy.

However, he said, there is something on which he has worked on during the last two years after learning things from Imran Tahir.

Usman, who has played 17 T20Is for Pakistan, was picked by the Zalmis in PSL's players draft for 2022, after being released by Sultans.

The young cricketer hopes for a better opportunity with Peshawar Zalmi, saying that the franchise has always given the chances to the young cricketers.

“Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik are backing me and I am hopeful of adding more to my experience while paying for Zalmi this season,” Usman said.

The cricketer is determined to play maximum matches, if not all, to gain experience and improve himself, believing that a player loses an opportunity with every match he misses.

"Even if I set my eyes on becoming a top bowler, I need to play maximum matches for that,” Usman said when asked what are his goals this PSL, adding that his top priority is to gain more experience.

He said that the PSL has always been a great platform for youngsters where they get the opportunity to share the dressing room with top cricketers and work with different coaching staff.

Usman, who made his debut for Pakistan in 2021, is the son of Pakistan’s legend spinner Abdul Qadir.

The bowler from Lahore says that he was under pressure to perform at the start of his career because of the legacy he was carrying.

“Obviously, it was a pressure for me but now I’ve gained confidence and I'm doing well. I try to follow the footsteps of my father but I can never become a bowler like him. He was a legend but I believe that even if I am able to apply half of what he used to do, I will become a much better player,” he said.

He said that his father guided him on how to use crease and how to frame his delivery style.

"One thing that he used to tell me was that if I want to puzzle the batter, I must tweak my action in the middle of bowling,” Usman said.

The leg spinner recalled what his father had told him before he passed away on September 6, 2019.

“I still remember when I returned to Pakistan after Big Bash League in early 2019, my mother was unwell then. At that time, I was thinking about playing for Australia and had given up hopes of playing for Pakistan but my father said that he would be happier if I play for Pakistan.”

He said it was after that when he played a T20 tournament in Pakistan, performed well and got selected in the team Pakistan.

"One thing I’ve learnt is that if you don’t’ give up your fight then you ultimately achieve what you aim for,” the cricketer said.

Usman also recalled how Lahore Qalandars helped him get back on track in Pakistan and gave credit to the franchise for bringing him back to Pakistani circuit when he was not playing here anymore.

He also expressed his delight at the news of Australia’s tour to Pakistan for a full series and aimed for repeating what his father did four decades ago.

“It is very good news for everyone that Australia is coming. I hope all goes well and we get to see a full series. But they won’t be an easy team to beat even at home. They’ve won T20 World Cup, they’ve won the Ashes. So, they’ll be coming with high confidence,” he said.

“If I get a chance, I will give my best against them, just like my father did in 1982 series,” he said while referring to Abdul Qadir’s 22 wickets in three tests against Australians.