- Video interview available here
- Urdu version of the media release is attached here
Lahore, 12 January 2024: Shamyl Hussain, a lanky southpaw hailing from Islamabad, has grown up loving the game as he inherited the passion from his father. Shamyl will be a key part of the Pakistan U19 team in the upcoming ICC Men’s U19 World Cup at the top of the order.
He was introduced to the game by his father, who featured in one List A game for Islamabad region in the One Day National Tournament 2001-02 and had to give up on his dream due to a back injury.
In a chat with PCB Digital, he talked about how he started club cricket: “My first memory of playing the game is at six or seven years of age as my father used to throw plastic balls at me. I joined Shalimar Cricket Club as an 11-year-old and never looked back. A lot of first-class players used to turn up for training and I was pushed to get involved as well. I remember facing Aamir Jamal in the nets quite often. It felt scary but that exposure helped strengthen my game.”
Shamyl represented Islamabad region in PCB U13 Inter regional T20 Tournaments in 2017 and 2018. In December 2019, he smashed a brilliant ton for Northern U16 against Balochistan U16 in a three-day game where no batter from either team crossed 50.
Like most left-handed batters, he too grew up being impressed with Brian Lara’s style and flair. Luckily, his father arranged a meeting for him with the West Indies great, who was visiting Islamabad for work commitments.
Shamyl said: “I’ve always followed Brian Lara. We used to have videos of his batting and I’ve watched his unbeaten 400 many times. I was asked to observe his technique and shots. You know the biggest compliment I’ve received in my life is him (Lara) saying that I bat really well.”
Shamyl scored 264 runs at an average of 52 in the National U19 Cup 2021-22 which led to him being called up for Pakistan U19 in the home series against Bangladesh U19. After sitting out due to a broken thumb, Shamyl got his chance in the away series against Bangladesh U19, where he impressed with his audacious strokeplay.
He shone with the bat against Sri Lanka U19 in the home series in late 2023 where he notched 326 runs in the five-match series at an average of 65 and a strike-rate of 95. He also bagged the player of the match award in the win over Afghanistan U19 in the ACC U19 Asia Cup.
Talking about the expectations from the U19 WC, Shamyl stated, “We all know South Africa offers bouncy tracks and a bit of seam so we have trained accordingly in the camp. The net sessions emulated those conditions. I’m confident that our team is going to put a great performance in the World Cup. There is a lot of talent in the squad and fingers crossed for a good performance.”
