Talent Spotter : Omair bin Yousuf

[Abdullah719]

A comprehensive profile of a young opening batsman from Karachi who has already shown a penchant for big scores in his short, but fruitful domestic cricket career.

Full name: Omair Bin Yousuf

Born: December 27, 1998, Karachi

Major teams: Pakistan Under-19s, Karachi Whites

Batting style: Right-hand bat

Height: 5ft 7.5in


Interest in cricket

I started playing cricket in the streets near my home with my brothers and friends. No one in my close family had ever played cricket at any formal level so I suppose the interest in the game was purely from within myself. I was also lucky that I had a lot of support from my family and they never discouraged me from pursuing my dream of becoming a cricketer. I did carry on my education and completed O’ Levels at Karachi High School as I feel that education is also important for any cricketer.


Playing hard-ball cricket at KPT academy

I joined the Karachi Port Trust Academy at the end of 2014 and had my first taste of hard-ball cricket. This was a difficult time for me as I wouldn’t get enough opportunities to bat and then I was also asked to bat in the lower middle-order which wasn’t something I wanted for myself. However, any opportunity to play cricket was good, so I didn’t complain about it.


KMC-KCCA Inter-zonal Under-17 cricket tournament

I was a little unlucky that I could not get into Under-16 cricket as at that time I was busy with my exams, but I got my chance to play in Under-17 cricket when I went for a trial and I was selected and shortlisted to play for a side. I showed my talent by becoming the highest scorer in the tournament in which I scored almost 500 runs which included a few centuries.


Moving on to Under-19 level

I then moved up to District Under-19 level cricket in 2016 and then moved to Under-19 Region level cricket. In the One-Day tournament, I finished as the third-highest run-scorer with 325 runs in 7 innings including 4 fifties. This resulted in my inclusion in a high-performance camp at the NCA for Under-19s but sadly, I was not selected for the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh that year which was very disappointing. But all was not lost, and I played at the Under-19 level again and scored almost 1200 runs in 2017 in the Inter Region U-19 One-Day and Three-Day tournaments, including 5 hundreds and 4 fifties. This time, I was picked for the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup which was held in Malaysia in 2017. My performances in that tournament were nothing special but the experience I gained was very useful.


A memorable first-class debut for Karachi Whites

Due to my performances in 2017, last year I was recommended for trials at Karachi Whites to play first-class cricket for the first time. This was a huge opportunity for me and a big jump in terms of quality of cricket from the Under-19 level. But I did not disappoint my team as in my debut game against ZTBL, I scored 135 runs and my century helped my side to an innings victory in that game. I have to admit that I was very nervous, but I was given a lot of encouragement by my team mates, my confidence grew as the innings progressed, and I was able to get to a memorable hundred. I was very happy that at the end of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 2018/19, I had scored 582 runs in 8 matches which included 2 big hundreds. To play alongside some top-class players such as Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Sami and Anwar Ali was an honour and also a great experience.


Participation in the Karachi Kings ‘Karachi ke Shehzade’ talent hunt in 2017

I had hopes to play in the Pakistan Super League as I was the top scorer with 142 runs in 4 innings but unfortunately nothing came of it as I was not picked for the Karachi Kings squad which was very disappointing.


Role models and favourite players

Amongst the Pakistan batsmen, I really like watching and look to emulate the likes of Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam. Obviously when one talks about non-Pakistan players then Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Martin Guptill and Hashim Amla are all big names in international cricket and all of them are my favourites too.


Favourite run-scoring shots

As an opener, I love to play cut shots and like to drive the fast-bowlers but for spinners my preferred method of attack is to come down the wicket as that gets me the most runs.


Ambitions to play Test cricket for Pakistan

I have always prided myself on the ability to play long innings and even though I have a good record in the shorter formats of the game, I would like to play Test cricket for my country. I learnt my cricket in Pakistan and it will be a great honour for me to serve my country by playing for the national team.

[Abdullah719]

Stylish 19 year old Karachi-born batsman Umair Yousuf who scored 582 runs in 8 matches in his debut Quaid-E-Azam Trophy season #Cricket pic.twitter.com/Um7vHIaURc

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) December 10, 2018

[Markhor]

Not surprising Karachi are still producing decent batsmen these days - pitches in the South are good batting strips that allows you to spend time at the crease and construct an innings.

In Northern Punjab, FC matches have become a total lottery on anti-cricket wickets where it's impossible to develop young batsmen.

This kid has made a really strong start to his FC career though still needs technical work. He and a group of 6-7 other top young batsmen should be called up to the NCA for intensive 1:1 coaching. Don't let them rot in the system where domestic coaches will teach them bathroom squatting.

[The Viper]

Not surprising Karachi are still producing decent batsmen these days - pitches in the South are good batting strips that allows you to spend time at the crease and construct an innings.

In Northern Punjab, FC matches have become a total lottery on anti-cricket wickets where it's impossible to develop young batsmen.

This kid has made a really strong start to his FC career though still needs technical work. He and a group of 6-7 other top young batsmen should be called up to the NCA for intensive 1:1 coaching. Don't let them rot in the system where domestic coaches will teach them bathroom squatting.

This. He is lucky to play for Karachi as they have the best batting pitch. Nevertheless he has done well considering his age. PCB really should take a few of these batsman under their wing to fix technical problems.

[Bewal Express]

With that one pull shot, you can see the lad has something but the system is clogged up with mediocrity and we will probably see him in 8 years time playing for the A team

[Syed1]

Not surprising Karachi are still producing decent batsmen these days - pitches in the South are good batting strips that allows you to spend time at the crease and construct an innings.

In Northern Punjab, FC matches have become a total lottery on anti-cricket wickets where it's impossible to develop young batsmen.

This kid has made a really strong start to his FC career though still needs technical work. He and a group of 6-7 other top young batsmen should be called up to the NCA for intensive 1:1 coaching. Don't let them rot in the system where domestic coaches will teach them bathroom squatting.

How many of these "decent" batsmen have made it to the side though. The two brightest stars Saud and Saad are as far from selection as you and me. However, 32 averaging Imam ul-haq had no problem wlatzing his way into the side.

[cricketAXEpert]

Stylish 19 year old Karachi-born batsman Umair Yousuf who scored 582 runs in 8 matches in his debut Quaid-E-Azam Trophy season #Cricket pic.twitter.com/Um7vHIaURc

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) December 10, 2018

Like his batting style, very stylish. Should be given ample opportunities, we need to identify test class batsmen early. & PSL is not the place for it

[iPakistani]

Players for the test team should be picked purely on the basis off first class performance.

Although I really like these players I have to admit, Shadab, Faheem, Hasan, Shaheen and Fakhar are all players we found from the PSL, they performed well in limited overs and the selectors blindly selected them for tests too. In tests you need technically correct batsmen with an ability to analyze and correctly execute plans, players that can only play 50 overs are not mentally capable of this.

With all respect to Babar Azam who is one of my favourites, he was also selected based on limited over form and definitely not for his domestic stats. Babar Azam is an excellent prospect which is why he paid off however others are wasted investments.

If we can pick players who are performing well in first class for the test team then we will do well, Omair Yousuf is only 20 and has a magnificent cover drive, if we give players like him opportunities it will be much more beneficial for pakistan cricket rather than picking PSL specialists.

[xricket]

Ahmed Shahzad with more control on pull shots & strokes with straight bat. Also, loved that shot on the rise, while the ball was on good length.

[xricket]

The problem with current domestic cricket is:

-We aren't producing lethal bowlers, which in turn doesnt reveal weakness of our domestic batsmen. This goes in a cycle, and part of the reason why we are spiraling downwards. At the time shoaib, Wasim & Waqar were in the team, we had better batsmen too.

The remaining blame goes to ******/sifarish culture in our cricket, which is just an extension of what usually happens in Pakistan. Due to that, talented lads don't get a chance. Hopefully, PSL will change that.

[Khwaja78]

This kid is something special, mind you he is just 19 look at his game feels like some veteran playing. This is natural talent. If he was in India they would've written several articles calling him the second Gavaskar. He has more shots than the pitiful seniors in our test team.
This is the debut century Omair made against ZTBL

[Abdullah719]

20 year old Karachi-borm Omair Yousuf who was amongst the leading scorers in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Here he is making 92 not out against Sui Southern Gas #Cricket pic.twitter.com/MyIFQ4aEXQ

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) January 18, 2019

[Square Drive]

@Chief Destroyer what do you think? Guy stands tall, doesn't seem to be crouching.

[Syed1]

20 year old Karachi-borm Omair Yousuf who was amongst the leading scorers in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Here he is making 92 not out against Sui Southern Gas #Cricket pic.twitter.com/MyIFQ4aEXQ

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) January 18, 2019

Domestic 'coaches' already tinkering with his technique... Batting with a lot more open and front on stance than in previous video.

[Chief Destroyer]

@Chief Destroyer what do you think? Guy stands tall, doesn't seem to be crouching.

Good potential. Needs fine-tuning.

[Chief Destroyer]

Much better balance in the latest video.

[Kohli, The King of Chase]

Looks good against the short ball. Which is rare for Pak batsmen.

[Khan12]

Much better balance in the latest video.

The one where he scored 92?

[Chief Destroyer]

The one where he scored 92?

Yes, he's playing within his range and not reaching for balls.

[Saj]

Much better balance in the latest video.

I've asked him about changes to his stance etc.

He said that he opened his stance up in this match due to there being mainly lefties in the opposition bowling.

[Mueez]

Where’s this guy now?

Seems like a decent prospect.

[Boi]

Sad state of affairs when young players only have the PSL as a platform to get noticed by selectors. Hoping against hope that PZ or IU snap this guy up as their extra pick. Looks class.

[Syed1]

Sad state of affairs when young players only have the PSL as a platform to get noticed by selectors. Hoping against hope that PZ or IU snap this guy up as their extra pick. Looks class.

Inzi only does his job for the 4 weeks of the PSL. How many players has he inducted in the side that weren't a product of PSL. I can only think of Fahim Ashraf or Imam ul-Haq(was itching to induct him anyway)

[Ahmed216]

You can be a bradman in Pakistan but u wont get selected if you cant hit 3 consecutive sixes in PSL.
So my boy yousuf all you need to learn in cricket is cross-batted slogs to remain in contention

[mak36]

Has come a long way since I started a thread on him in 2017 (in terms of domestic cricket). Given some of the dross on display, it's a pity he's not in any of the PSL squads.

[Abdullah719]

K. Electric: 402-8, 83 overs (Umair Bin Yousaf 85, {130b, 6x4s, 1x6}; Bahadur Ali 68, {96b, 4x4s, 2x6s, Kashif Iqbal 60, {88b, 7x4s}; Hassan Khan 57, {68b, 7x4s}; Jahanzeb Sultan 51, {72b, 8x4s}; Sajid Khan 32, {20b, 2x6s}; Babar Rehman 4-73, Mansoor Ahmed 2-81)

Karachi Port trust: 6 for no loss, 4 overs

[saeed5646]

Stylish 19 year old Karachi-born batsman Umair Yousuf who scored 582 runs in 8 matches in his debut Quaid-E-Azam Trophy season #Cricket pic.twitter.com/Um7vHIaURc

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) December 10, 2018

My favorite upcoming bastmen .he is picked by Sindh First 11 .Very excited to see his progress

[Abdullah719]

My favorite upcoming bastmen .he is picked by Sindh First 11 .Very excited to see his progress

There were some rumours a couple of weeks ago that he was going to be chosen for a 2nd XI. Glad to see he made it to 1st.

[saeed5646]

There were some rumours a couple of weeks ago that he was going to be chosen for a 2nd XI. Glad to see he made it to 1st.

good work from cricket committee .The main problem for upcoming talent is next year region will have their own selection committee if this year they did count there opportunity they might be dropped for next season

[Markhor]

Ah so this lad bags a First XI place for Sindh.

Honestly the selection panel have been brilliant.

[Titan24]

One of the few young players which actually emerged as long term players in the last domestic season. Was always rated highly but was happy to see him performing the way he did in last QAE, hopefully he can continue handwork and performances.

[The Viper]

Glad to see him picked in the first 11 squad.

Sindh has a very strong team, so chances may be limited intilally with Khuram Mansoor and Abid Ali most likely opening.

But i am sure he will get his chances and hopefully he can continue off from last season in a much more competitive stricture.

[shah_1]

He will get a chance once Australia tour starts

[Abdullah719]

Hundred in his first innings of QEA 2019.

[Mueez]

He starts his season with a century.

Promising lad.

[SensiblePakFan]

Good start.

[Fahdi]

Good to see him doing well. Hopefully he has the temperament to score big daddy hundreds, we do not have enough young players who have the mindset to bat on and on while also scoring at a decent clip.

[mak36]

Genuine prospect.

[aloo paratha]

Is he an opener?

[Abdullah719]

Is he an opener?

Yes.

[saeed5646]

2 to 3 more good performances will earn him spot in test squad

[The Viper]

Outstanding knock against a pretty good bowling attack.

Lets see how much more he can get Tomorrow.

[Ahmed_99]

Happy that he's played well. Just hope he continues to get chances and works hard. We really need to nurture and develop some new young batsmen and hopefully he can represent and perform well for Pakistan in the future

[MenInG]

174 for Umair - outstanding

298 balls, 470 minutes 18x4s & 3x6s

[Markhor]

2 to 3 more good performances will earn him spot in test squad

2-3 more performances is all it takes to get into the Test side ? He's made a good start to his FC career but he needs two full seasons of FC cricket under his belt before being considered for Pakistan.

Fans always underestimate the massive stepup between domestic and international cricket.

[shah_1]

2-3 more performances is all it takes to get into the Test side ? He's made a good start to his FC career but he needs two full seasons of FC cricket under his belt before being considered for Pakistan.

Fans always underestimate the massive stepup between domestic and international cricket.

He did well in last season and if he performs well this season as well then he should be selected for international cricket

[Shafi]

Under Misbah it will be extremely hard for him to be selected. PCB will definitely waste 2-4 years of him.

[Usman]

Looks like a very promising prospect. Outstanding start to the season! Inshallah he will carry on in this way and soon make his way to the test team.

[Shafi]

2-3 more performances is all it takes to get into the Test side ? He's made a good start to his FC career but he needs two full seasons of FC cricket under his belt before being considered for Pakistan.

Fans always underestimate the massive stepup between domestic and international cricket.

Does it mean 2 years?

[Danyaalr01]

He's already played a bit of a season prior to this, so this is his second season.

Good thing is that Abid Ali will be with PAK squad so he has a few more chances. Iwonder who they will drop for him later.

[Muhammad Saad]

If he gets a good season this year than he should be fast track in to the national side just like Shaheen and Hasnain, he's a rare talent like Babar and needs to shown utmost caring and grooming

[Bewal Express]

Looking at the short snippet- would make a good 3.

[Xoib]

Possible the honest young talent in the country has over taken Saud Shakeel who was quite iffy last year aswell

[Chief Destroyer]

Good to see Haider and Omair scoring. Got some quality young players coming up.

[Sir-fraz]

In the emerging asia cup squad

[saeed5646]

Excellent opportunity for him .

[Danyaalr01]

Good chance for him to put his name out there. He has tough competition in Haider Ali though.

[HappyWarsFan]

Good chance for him to put his name out there. He has tough competition in Haider Ali though.

Omar can play at at 3.

[Danyaalr01]

Omar can play at at 3.

Yeah, I guess so. There is good competition for spots though.

[Abdullah719]

56 against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

[MenInG]

One of the members of the Bangladesh-bound Pakistan ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup squad is talented top-order batsman Omair-Bin-Yousuf who has made a big impression in his short domestic and age-group cricket career so far.

Omair is representing Sindh in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class tournament and started off the season with a scintillating 174. The 20-year-old has scored 402 runs in eight innings – which also include a half-century – at an impressive average of 57.43.

In 13 first-class games to date, Omair, who made his first-class debut last year, has scored 984 runs at an average of 46.85.

He cracked a century, scoring 135 runs from 205 balls, on his first-class debut for Karachi Whites against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited.

That century is an inspiring memory for the youngster and he now aims to deliver for Pakistan in the upcoming ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

Omair-Bin-Yousaf said: “I am confident that we will deliver good results in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

“Mohammad Yousuf is my role model and I am a huge fan of his batting technique and ability to score big runs. I want to perform at the highest level - like he did.

“I am happy with my form in the current season and hope to carry forward the momentum in Bangladesh and play a leading role in our performance there.”

Omair started his cricketing journey by playing tape-ball cricket on weekends. He recieved full backing of his family as they allowed him to continue his studies while taking forward his cricket career.

Omair is currently pursuing a degree in accounting. At the same time, he targets big accomplishments on the cricket field.

To date, Omair, has featured in seven limited-overs matches. The competitive nature of the ongoing domestic season has helped him in improving his game and the youngster has big ambitions for the future and he aspires to wear the coveted Pakistan cap in all three formats.

[MenInG]

Scored 66 off 97 in SF vs India of ACC Emerging Cup

[Xoib]

I.believe he is our best test opener prospect bit too slow for the other two formats

[Muhammad Saad]

Not impressed by his or Haider S/R so far

[Xoib]

Not impressed by his or Haider S/R so far

Omair is a classic long format opener no need to turn him in to what he is not Haider is very young and a work in progress Zeeshan was more ready then him and should have been taken

[asfandyar]

The selections for Emerging Cup have improved. I hope we don't waste future A tours on TTFs like Imran Farhat and Kamran Akmal.

[ZamanFan]

The selections for Emerging Cup have improved. I hope we don't waste future A tours on TTFs like Imran Farhat and Kamran Akmal.

Merit has been killed in such a way in Pakistani cricket system, that instead of the performer we have to be appreciative of the selectors for giving chance to deserving player. Thanks to PCB chairmen [from 2007 till now], chief selector Inzamam ul Haq, Imam , Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal for making us realize the importance and be grateful for an independent and sincere selection committee.

[The Viper]

Not his best innings, but I would not rule him out yet as a limited overs player.

He is pretty inexperienced and i’d imagine that he will improve in the future.

[Boi]

He played fluently at SR near or at 100 in earlier games of the tournament but got starts and then got out. This time he tried to bide his time to allow him to build a platform for the side. It’s a classic case of a player learning and developing but clueless PPers will slate these kids at first opportunity.

[TeamPak95]

He played fluently at SR near or at 100 in earlier games of the tournament but got starts and then got out. This time he tried to bide his time to allow him to build a platform for the side. It’s a classic case of a player learning and developing but clueless PPers will slate these kids at first opportunity.

Patience isn't a strong virtue among Pakistan fans, especially when it comes to youngsters

[The Viper]

Omair scored 44 (77) to help Sindh win versus CP.

[shamaan]

I hope he keeps performing one of the players I wanted to score heavily so he gets chance In pakistan test side

[Thunderbolt14]

Impressive 50 today, currently sitting on 65* during the lunch break.

[Mobashir]

Batted pretty well in the first session. Need to make a big score. Should be opening the innings all season for Sindh. No way you can have Khurram Manzoor, Sharjeel Khan and Jahid Ali opening in front of him.

[MenInG]

90* at the moment during drinks break

[MenInG]

90* at the moment during drinks break

Finishes Day 1 on 129* - brilliant effort

[ElRaja]

needs to go like hussain talat and pile on a double here

[Firebat]

Some highlights of his batting today:

[Firebat]

His strokeplay square of the wicket is brilliant.

[Khan12]

Impressive shots. Can't believe they dropped him last game and the a specific poster cries about karachi players not getting a chance when they themselves don't play them.