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Sami-aslam
Sami Aslam, one of Pakistan’s most promising batsmen, is considering quitting cricket. This has sent shockwaves among the Pakistani fans, who believe he’s too young to consider dropping.
From 2015 to 2017, the 25-year-old played a total of 13 Test matches, inching closer to start consistently for the Pakistan Test team. However, conflicts with the Southern Punjab team management have become so serious that he now considers moving to the USA and playing cricket there.
Sami Aslam was the captain of Southern Punjab last season. He batted brilliantly, finishing as the 4th highest run-getter with 864 runs. In a match against Northern Punjab, Aslam agreed to a draw on account of poor playing conditions. However, it didn’t go well with the team coach. The result was that it led to his removal from the captaincy. Since then, Aslam’s career has spiraled into a downfall. He was pushed down to the Balochistan second XI in the T20 tournament. He was also eventually dropped from the 35-man squad to face New Zealand.
What led Aslam to this decision?
In 2009, PCB’s Hunt for Heroes declared Aslam as an emerging talent. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the second-highest run-getter in U-19 history. Aslam is also the third player to reach 2000 runs in the List A format. He caught eyeballs when he captained his side against England back in 2013. He scored 2 centuries in the tri-series, with a brilliant knock of 110 in the final.
After his performances in the 2015 World Cup, he was included in both the ODI and T20I squads. Even though he was dropped after the first series, Aslam fought back. He made a stunning return in the 2016 series. Smashing 82 and 70 against England, Aslam was keen on proving critics wrong.
He managed to hit seven fifties in total that year. However, the inability to convert any of those into a century put him in a dismal situation at the team. Aslam wasn’t the fittest in the team. Mickey Arthur eventually dropped him because of the aforementioned reasons.
Despite hitting several runs in his domestic career, Aslam could not get the breakthrough he deserved. With an opportunity to play cricket in the USA, it might be possible for him to quit international cricket.