Qadir denies U-turn as father's dream comes true

Shock Pakistan call-up Usman Qadir has denied he turned his back on ambitions to represent Australia by his own volition, admitting his hopes of becoming an Australian citizen in time for next year’s T20 World Cup were slim.

Qadir is set to instead fulfil the wish of his late father – the legendary Pakistan leg-spinner Adbul Qadir who passed away last month – by making his international debut for Pakistan, having returned to his native country earlier this year and last week earning an out-of-the-blue call-up for their T20 tour of Australia.

The 26-year-old found out about his selection from his overjoyed wife, who called him after seeing he'd been picked on the news three days after she'd given birth to their first daughter.

Qadir had been in the process of applying for a permanent Australian visa having represented Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers in all three formats last summer after impressing former state coach Justin Langer during a trial.

The wrist-spinner also turned heads in last year's Prime Minister's XI match against South Africa and publicly stated his ambition to represent Australia at the 2020 T20 World Cup.

But with a long-term Australian visa elusive, Qadir played four games for Central Punjab in Pakistan's domestic T20 competition earlier this month before new coach-selector Misbah-ul-Haq picked him for three-match Gillette T20 series in Australia.

"My ambition was to play for Australia before. I said to my father I did not get any chances to play in Pakistan. I wanted to go to Australia and wanted to make a career over there," Qadir explained to cricket.com.au.

"My father said, 'My wish is for (you) to play for Pakistan, for your own country. If you want to go there (to Australia), you can – it's your own decision. But my dream is for you to play for Pakistan.'

"The PCB put my name in for the national T20 (domestic tournament). I played four games there, I did not take lots of wickets, but the selectors really liked me and said, 'We're going to pick you'. I said, 'Okay that's fine.'

"That's not a U-turn. I played all the cricket but unfortunately if I wanted to play T20 for Australia, I have to be a local there. Everyone said to me that I had made a U-turn – I didn't make a U-turn. I didn't make any decision like this.

"I said before that I wanted to play for Australia but … it's a big opportunity to play for your own country."

Qadir remains keen on again featuring in the BBL as an international, but says he's unsure what the future holds beyond next week's international T20 series.

Qadir first made his mark in Australia during the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Queensland. While he only picked up four wickets for the tournament, it was enough to secure him a Premier Cricket stint with Adelaide Cricket Club in which he collected 41 wickets in 12 games.

He returned home and was picked for the National Bank of Pakistan in the country's domestic competitions. But he would later express disillusionment with the "politics" in Pakistan cricket, while he also had to endure accusations of nepotism as he tried to follow in the footsteps of his father, who briefly held the post as Pakistan's chief selector.

Image Id: 7DBE56D9C0124B93BA1B943CD91976C6 Image Caption: Qadir took four wickets in two Sheffield Shield matches for WA // Getty

Qadir took promising steps in his first season with WA and the Scorchers after impressing then head coach Justin Langer and Scorchers players at a trial net session the previous year, taking 17 wickets in 14 matches across all competitions last summer.

After details of a traffic infringement in Perth emerged in February – he was allegedly driving 50kph over the speed limit – Qadir didn't feature again for any WA side but he insists he remains on good terms with the Western Australia Cricket Association.

"They are very good people and when I got selected for the Pakistan team, they messaged me and congratulated me, and that's a good sign," he said.

"I really learnt a lot in Australia, playing in the Big Bash and in the (domestic) one-dayers.

"It's a good thing I've already played there. Australian cricketers are really good… if you're a spinner, they attack you, they come really hard. If you have the basics, you can do well."

Qadir forms part of a new-look Pakistan T20 squad to face Australia in matches in Sydney, Canberra and Perth next month.

Gone is long-time skipper and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, with Babar Azam to lead the side and teenage quicks Musa Khan and Naseem Shah included.

Qadir said he's looking forward to again seeing the now-Australia coach Langer.

"I don't know what they (the Australians) are going to say to me," laughed Qadir. "But he (Langer) is a very nice guy, very down to earth.

"Every time (I saw him) he is encouraging me, and he is giving me good advice. I learnt a lot from him.

"I'm a left-handed batsman as well so whenever I have had difficulties, I am watching Justin Langer because he was a great player."

Gillette T20 INTLs v Sri Lanka

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott (from game two)

Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (c), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka, Shehan Jayasuriya, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Oshada Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha

First T20: Australia won by 134 runs

October 30: Second T20I, Gabba, 6.10pm (Fox & Kayo)

November 1: Third T20I, MCG, 7.10pm (Fox & Kayo)

Gillette T20 INTLs v Pakistan

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir.

November 3: First T20I, SCG, 2.30pm (Fox & Kayo)

November 5: Second T20I, Manuka Oval, 7.10pm (Fox & Kayo)

November 8: Third T20I, Perth Stadium, 4.30pm (Fox & Kayo)