Afghanistan handed more boosts by prodigy Qadri
IT has been quite a week for 16-year-old Hamidullah Qadri.
Last Thursday, the Kandahar-born former Afghan refugee took 5-60 in the second innings of his Derbyshire debut against Glamorgan – a haul that helped his county to their first win in the Championship since July 2015.
He then topped that with a call-up to the England U19 one-day squad for the forthcoming series against India, which offers him the chance to stake his claim for a place in Andy Hurry’s World Cup squad for the tournament that takes place in New Zealand early next year.
For a teenager who hadn’t even picked up a cricket ball before arriving in England it has been a whirlwind journey from war-torn Afghanistan to leading his team-mates off the pitch at Cardiff after an historic win.
“I arrived in 2011 and went to a local state school here in England,” he says. “I was born in Kandahar but my dad was here in England. He had a small business and all the family eventually came over.
“I came over when I was 10 but I don’t really remember too much about growing up in Afghanistan. I played once a month in Afghanistan but that was only tennis ball cricket. I had never played with a hard ball before I came here. I don’t think I picked up a proper cricket ball until I was 12.
“My dad never played cricket but my brother played a little bit. He’s 22 now and more into football.
“I came through the youth system at Derbyshire, playing for the U12s onwards before getting a youth contract last season.”
Wickets at club level for Alvaston and Boulton as well as a string of impressive performances for Derbyshire Second XI thrust him into the thoughts of the Derbyshire hierarchy.
His debut against Glamorgan also saw him become the first county cricketer born in the 21st century, which will not only make a lot of his team-mates feel old but also gives an indication of the time he has on his side as he continues to develop his game. And any failure to kick-on won’t be through a lack of application.
“I just love bowling off-spin, I will bowl and bowl for hours and hours,” he says. “I was always going to bowl off-spin and I love watching the likes of Saqlain Mushtaq, Saeed Ajmal and Graeme Swann. It was always more attractive to me than leg-spin. I don’t know why, that’s just the way I feel.
“Taking that first wicket (against Glamorgan) felt special. I’m lucky to have come into a side where my team-mates have been very supportive. Leading them off after taking five wickets was unbelievable, particularly after we had had to wait so long for that win to arrive.
“I’m keeping my feet on the ground, though, I’m not someone who likes to look too far ahead. It’s now very much up to me to keep performing and make sure that I’m in the team more often than I’m out of it.”
For someone who spoke not one word of English on his arrival on these shores, Qadri’s rise is impressive in every sense. It also hands Afghanistan cricket another timely boost following the ICC’s decision to grant them Test status back in June.
The country of his birth is yet to get in touch over the possibility of him one day representing them. And having gained an English passport two years ago, the ECB are likely to put up a fight to ensure that his allegiance now sits squarely with the country he has made his home.