Abdul Samad: “I used to think about how I would make my place in the XI for Markhors; they had a lot of international players. I was even sick during the camp, but credit goes to Misbah bhai, he stuck with me and gave me chances”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Pakistan batsman Abdul Samad has thanked former captain Misbah-ul-Haq for giving him plenty of chances to showcase his skills in domestic cricket.

Samad has been in excellent form lately as he recently represented the Pakistan Shaheens in the Top End T20 Series, which also included the Adelaide Strikers Academy, Australian Capital Territory, Bangladesh A, Chicago Kingsmen, Hobart Hurricanes Academy, Melbourne Renegades Academy, Melbourne Stars Academy, Nepal, Northern Territory Strike, and Perth Scorchers Academy.

In seven matches, the 27-year-old from Faisalabad scored 231 runs, which included a century and a fifty, at an average of 46.20 and a strike-rate of 152.98.

“I used to think about how I would make my place in the XI for Markhors; they had a lot of international players. I was even sick during the camp, but credit goes to Misbah bhai, he stuck with me and gave me chances,” he was quoted as saying by PakPassion on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Since Samad last played international cricket in March 2025, he missed Pakistan’s three-match series against Bangladesh in Lahore, the tour of Bangladesh, the white-ball tour of the West Indies, and the T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan in Sharjah.

Pakistan are now in action in the 2025 Asia Cup, which is being held in the UAE.

The men in green beat Oman and the UAE in the group stage, while also losing to India.

They fell to India again in the Super Four, but fought back to defeat Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which helped them qualify for the final.

Pakistan will take on India in the Asia Cup final on September 28 in Dubai.

Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem

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