Pakistan spinner Usman Qadir: “Despite doing well in the first two series, I was dropped. Liking and disliking is more”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan spinner Usman Qadir has claimed that he was dropped after doing so well in two series.
He noted that there is a prominent like and dislike culture in the country, which ends up influencing which players get selected in the national team.
Qadir, who announced his retirement from Pakistan cricket in October 2024, featured in 25 T20Is and took 31 wickets at an average of 18.48.
He also got the chance to make his ODI debut in April 2021 and finished with one wicket at an average of 48.
Considering his success, particularly in the T20I format, Qadir expressed his disappointment at not being given a longer run in the team.
“Despite doing well in the first two series, I was dropped. Liking and disliking is more,” he was quoted as saying by Geo Super.
As a result of his retirement, Qadir was not selected for the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa.
He also missed the 2025 Champions Trophy, where Pakistan failed to make it out of the group stage after losing to New Zealand and India.
Their final group stage game against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a limited overs tour of New Zealand, where they will play five T20Is and three ODIs from March 16 to April 5.
Pakistan Squad for T20I Series against New Zealand: Hasan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris, Abdul Samad, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for ODI Series against New Zealand: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Khan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir