Speaking with PakPassion.net; Usman explains how he hopes that his dropping from the squad for Zimbabwe is just a temporary exclusion and that in the long term it may actually benefit him.

By Saj Sadiq (16th August, 2011)

In an all too familiar tale in Pakistani cricketing circles and like so many young and talented cricketers before him, Usman Salahuddin's introduction to international cricket was short lived. 20 year old Usman has been dropped after only 2 one day internationals against the West Indies.

Salahuddin only faced a total of 28 deliveries that yielded 13 runs in the Caribbean but has already been earmarked by many fans and observers as a batsman of great potential and pedigree and definitely one for the future. The only issue seems to be that the selectors currently don’t seem to agree with this assessment.

Salahuddin who hails from the cricket mad city of Lahore has a first class average of over 41 and already has 5 centuries and 8 half centuries under his belt. The stylish right hander was one of the star performers in last years Quaid E Azam Trophy and caught the eye of the selection committee with his consistent batting displays and maturity despite the tender age and lack of experience.

Speaking with PakPassion.net; Usman explains how he hopes that his dropping from the squad for Zimbabwe is just a temporary exclusion and that in the long term it may actually benefit him.

“Of course I was hoping to be selected for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, but it wasn’t meant to be and that is not something that I will feel sorry for myself about. Instead I am being very positive and not feeling down. I have been training even harder in the off season, I’ve been playing club cricket and am currently playing for Syed Paper Mills in the Twenty20 Ramadan tournament in Karachi.”

Salahuddin’s selection for the tour of the Caribbean earlier this year raised a few eyebrows mainly due to his lack of experience, but as is the norm in Pakistan cricket, players seem to be plucked from virtual obscurity and thrust into the limelight and expected to perform straight away. However the lack of patience shown with Usman is surprising even by Pakistani standards, especially given that he has faced less than 5 overs in international cricket.

“I’ve taken my non-selection for the tour of Zimbabwe and not being selected for a central contract on the chin and will look at it as a temporary setback. These sort of setbacks happen to all cricketers, young or old, experienced or inexperienced and I am confident that I will come back to the Pakistan side, as a better and more complete batsman.”

Whilst Salahuddin’s introduction to international cricket was short lived, he however feels that the experience was invaluable and will benefit him for future assignments.

“To get the opportunity to work with a legend like Waqar Younis as well as practising and playing alongside fantastic and experienced cricketers such as Misbah Ul Haq was a brilliant experience. For me the tour of the West Indies was so beneficial and invaluable as it came at such an early point in my career. I’ve got the taste for international cricket and I hope that it’s not too long before I can play for Pakistan again and prove to everyone that I have what it takes to make it in international cricket. There’s a lot of cricket coming up for Pakistan and I hope that somewhere down the line my chance will come again.”

Whilst Salahuddin embarks on a “comeback”, it remains to be seen how his career his handled by the selectors. Unfortunately, the Pakistani selectors have a habit of stopping certain promising careers even before they have got going. One can only hope that Salahuddin is not another youngster who ends up on the scrapheap.