• Usman Qadir former director Hafeez blocked his selection.
• Usman says the former T20I captain had indicated he’d be considered.
• He believes he hasn’t been given enough opportunities to prove himself.

Usman Qadir, a leg-spinner from Pakistan, has leveled accusations against Mohammad Hafeez, the former director of the Pakistan team, for his non-inclusion in the national squad. He also hinted at a tense relationship with team captain Babar Azam.

In a conversation on a local YouTube channel, Usman stated that Shaheen Shah Afridi, the then T20I captain, had assured him that a few commendable performances in domestic cricket would earn him a place in the series against New Zealand, which took place earlier in January this year.

“Shaheen told me that if I deliver few performances in T20s, they would pick me for the New Zealand series, why they lost in January. So, shortly after that, I managed to perform well with Allah’s help. In one match, I took 5 wickets, and overall in 8 matches, I took 13 wickets. So I was happy that I might make a comeback. But I didn’t receive any call, and the team was announced without my name,” Usman revealed.

Usman had anticipated a possible return to the national team, but was left disheartened when he found his name missing from the squad list. Upon inquiry, he was told that Hafeez, who was the director at the time, had objected to his selection.

“When I inquired, they said Hafeez bhai is not agreeing. Since Hafeez bhai is the director, and he’s not agreeing, they can’t select me,” Usman disclosed. “So, if you have personal preferences and performance doesn’t count, then I am quite far away from getting selected,” he added.

When the host asked if he had discussed his role as a right-arm leg spinner with captain Babar Azam, who is also a close friend, Usman chose not to elaborate.

“Let’s just leave this matter. The conversation can go in many directions. I prefer to leave it at that. If I say something, the conversation might not stay on topic and could go far beyond what was intended,” he concluded.

It’s noteworthy that Usman has only participated in 25 T20Is and a single ODI for Pakistan, and feels that he hasn’t been given consistent opportunities to demonstrate his reliability as a match performer for the national team.

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