Afghanistan’s Naveen-Ul-Haq set for IPL debut with LSG
Lucknow Super Giants’ biggest worry ahead of the new Indian Premier League season starting Friday is their star pacer Mohsin Khan’s slow recovery from shoulder injury
Lucknow Super Giants’ biggest worry ahead of the new Indian Premier League season starting Friday is their star pacer Mohsin Khan’s slow recovery from shoulder injury. Nevertheless, the presence of pacers Jaydev Unadkat, Avesh Khan, Marcus Stoinis, Mark Wood and young Naveen-Ul-Haq give the side a potent force to challenge rival batters.
Haq, 23, who has 34 wickets in 27 T20 internationals so far and has played in most T20 leagues around the world, is due to make his IPL debut. Everyone hopes that LSG, which had a fine run in their maiden season last year, will not be missing Mohsin much as they have a strong unit of pacers for the new season.
“Injury happens to everyone, and this is what cricket is about. Surely, the team will be missing the services of Mohsin, but still we have plenty of good pacers to fit in his shoes,” team’s fielding coach Jonty Rhodes says.
As far as Haq is concerned, the man from Kabul has established himself as a T20 and T10 globetrotter. Besides this he has featured in the CPL, BPL, Lanka Premier League and the Vitality T20 Blast, after making his international debut for the senior Afghanistan team at the age of just 16 against Bangladesh in 2016, even before captaining the country’s team in the Under-19 World Cup in 2018.
The wicket at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium here has some great memories for Haq as he was up for his second T20I against West Indies’ skipper Kieron Pollard in 2019 and even now everyone recalls the tussle between the two who exchanged verbals but the rookie wasn’t intimidated.
Despite using all his armoury, including slower leg-cutters, Haq couldn’t get rid of Pollard, who helped West Indies then take 1-0 lead in the three-match series. But three days later, the right arm medium pacer got his revenge, getting Pollard out at deep midwicket, helping Afghanistan clinch a memorable come-from-behind series victory.
“The plan was to not put pace on the ball to Pollard and keep it away from his range as much as I could and keep him wondering about what was coming next,” Haq had then said. “Yes, there was pressure bowling to one of the best T20 players, but I took it as a challenge and an opportunity to show that I can be in this place and play against these guys.”
Haq has a slingy action and naturally brings the ball into the right-handers at speeds of 135kph and above. His experience of playing T20 cricket around the world puts him ahead of others in the LSG squad. He was one of the favourites of Afghanistan coach Lance Klusener during the home series against the West Indies in Lucknow.
He sounds excited to play in IPL after being picked by the LSG at his base price of ₹50 lakh.
“Every player has a dream to play in IPL but more than my dream it was my parents’ dream to see me playing in the IPL and I’m happy to fulfill that,” Naveen was quoted as saying by a website.
“It was the grace of Allah by which I was picked for the IPL. I am sure my inclusion in the IPL will help the young generation take pace bowling more seriously in Afghanistan,” said Haq, who is the second pacer from Afghanistan to be picked for IPL after Fazalhaq Farooqi. Apart from the pace duo, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed are also part of the tournament while there was no place for seasoned campaigners like Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi.
