Sami Aslam, the Pakistan left-handed batsman, had made a solid impression for the side when he played 13 Tests as an opener from 2015 to 2017. In that period, he scored 791 runs at an average of 31 with his highest score of 91 coming in New Zealand. However, at the age of 24, Sami Aslam’s Pakistan cricket career could be over. According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, Sami Aslam’s problems with his domestic side Southern Punjab in 2019 have resulted in plenty of dissatisfaction for Sami Aslam and the batsman is thinking about making a move to the USA and play cricket there.
Sami Aslam has been one of the leading run-getters in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, one of the premier First Class tournaments in Pakistan. For Southern Punjab, he scored over 800 runs and averaged 78 and was fourth in the list for the highest run-getters. However, the ESPNCricinfo report highlighted a particular instance for Southern Punjab when Sami Aslam was the captain.
In their match against Northern Punjab, Southern Punjab needed 89 to win off 11 overs. However, just after two overs, Sami Aslam decided to shake hands and the match was drawn. That did not go down well with coach Abdul Rehman. In the aftermath of the match, Sami Aslam was removed as captain.
Downward spiral
Sami Aslam has been plying his trade with Balochistan in the 2020 Quaid-e-Azam trophy but he has not had good returns, managing just one fifty. With Abid Ali and Shan Masood establishing themselves as an opener and with Imam-ul-Haq as the back-up, the prospects of Sami Aslam coming back into the team are very hard.
In the National T20 Cup, Sami Aslam was demoted to the Balochistan Second XI and with him not being picked in the 35-man squad for the tour to New Zealand, Sami Aslam’s frustrations have only grown.
It is a sad state of affairs for the Pakistan left-hander, who is the second-highest run-scorer in Under-19 ODI history as well as the third-fastest in the world to get to 2000 List A runs. Sami Aslam was captain of the Pakistan Under-19 side when they toured England in 2013, and made two centuries in the tri-series then, including 110 in the final against England. Sami Aslam also hit a hundred in Pakistan’s victory over India in the 2014 Under-19 Asia Cup.
