Karnal Zahid wants to make family proud and follow Haris Rauf into international game

Tape-ball star targets career with UAE and ILT20 after falling through the cracks in the Pakistan system

Gulf Giants' Mohammed 'Karnal' Zahid in the ILT20 Development Tournament 2024 final against Pearls. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Haris Rauf’s origin story as a tape-ball cricketer who has reached the heights of international cricket has been well chronicled.

He accompanied a mate to a talent hunt organised by Lahore Qalandars, and caught the eye with a delivery that clocked 92mph on the coach’s hand-held speed gun.

From there, he was fast-tracked into the Qalandars development programme, which included a trip to train in Australia, then made a star of himself in the Pakistan Super League.

After that, elevation to the national team, and the platform to establish himself as one of the world game’s fastest bowlers. It was a Pakistani cricket fairy tale.

Fortune does not smile in the same way on every aspirant at those talent hunts, even if they do manage to get themselves noticed.

At the same event where Rauf got his big break, Mohammed “Karnal” Zahid had also hoped to carve out an opportunity for himself.

The speed gun blew up, just the same. He was invited back, just the same. And then managed to fall through the cracks.

“I was identified as one of the prospects at the same time as Haris Rauf,” Zahid says now. “Haris bowled at 92mph, and I bowled at 90mph. Haris got the opportunity to go to Australia and hone his skills, he had an excellent camp and was under their supervision, and continued to bowl.

“But when Covid happened, things stalled for me. I moved to the UAE and started playing cricket here instead. I moved here permanently three years ago, and only to pursue cricket, not for any other job.”

Had life worked out differently, Zahid might have had a similar celebrity to that of Rauf. While it is not quite the same, he does have a significant following, although not in the sport’s mainstream.

Zahid’s status is assured in tape-ball cricket, where speed is revered. He has played in tape-ball tournaments in Uganda, Qatar, Saudi, and Oman, and has earned a cult following as a result.

“I have a fanbase established in tape-ball cricket and many of them still follow me and wish me all the best in hardball cricket, too,” Zahid said.

“The level in Lahore, Punjab, and all over Pakistan, of tape-ball cricket is very high. It is incredibly competitive, and the idea is that you hide the ball, which is a skill you develop so that you don’t get hit. I have aimed to transfer that to hardball cricket.

“There are massive crowds for tape-ball cricket. It has a massive following both live and on social media, and that is how I have gotten something of a following.

“It gave me an ability and understanding that I want to bring into hardball cricket.”

Zahid is better known among his followers as Karnal, which is the Urdu transliteration of the English word colonel.

“My friend and I were discussing what we wanted to be when we grew up,” he said. “My friend said he wanted to be a major in the army. I said, ‘If you want to be a major, I want to be a colonel.’ That is how the name came about. Since I gained in popularity, it stuck.”

Zahid's contemporary, Rauf, might have stolen a march on him, and with the nation of their birth. But the lesser-known of the two fast bowlers has not given up on an international career of his own.

He was playing for the Gulf Giants side who won the DP World International League Development Tournament in fine fashion at ICC Academy last Wednesday night. The competition offers UAE players a chance to earn one of 12 berths in the six ILT20 Season 3 squads, via a draft set to take place this Wednesday.

To stand a chance to feature in that T20 franchise tournament, the locally-based players have to signal their intention to play for the UAE national team.

Zahid has been resident in the country for three years, with is the stipulated eligibility period to represent an adopted country in international cricket.

However, his eligibility has been delayed by a further 18 months by the time he spent outside the country having been drafted into the Quetta Gladiators side for a season of PSL.

Still, though, he is intent on earning a spot for himself in the national team.

“I want to play for UAE,” Zahid said. “I have played in this tournament which shows my commitment to wanting to represent the UAE.

“I want to make it big in cricket, I want to make a name for myself and my family. This is what my career is, and hopefully if I can get an opportunity, even in the ILT20, that is something I would love to be able to do.”

ILT20 contracted UAE players

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alishan Sharafu, Adithya Shetty

Desert Vipers: Ali Naseer, Tanish Suri

Dubai Capitals: Akif Raja, Haider Ali

Gulf Giants: Aayan Khan, Zuhaib Zubair

MI Emirates: Muhammad Waseem, Rohid Khan, Kai Smith

Sharjah Warriorz: Junaid Siddique, Mohammed Jawadullah

Who impressed most?

The players involved in the ILT20 Development Tournament were all vying with each other for a contract to play alongside the world stars of the main competition. Here are a few of those who shone the brightest.

Gulf Giants' Muhammad Saghir Khan bowls in the ILT20 Development Tournament 2024 final against Pearls. All pictures by Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pearls' Rohan Mustafa bats in the ILT20 Development Tournament 2024 final.

Giants' Vriitya Aravind in action.

Pearls' Kamran Atta plays a big shot.

Pearls capatin Alishan Sharafu in action.

Giants' Muhammad Irfan takes the wicket of Pearls' Asif Khan.

Pearls' Shahrukh Ahmed in action.

Giants' Aayan Afzal Khan bowls.

Pearls' Yasir Kaleem makes 50.

Saghir Khan – Hit the winning runs in the final and showed an extraordinary talent as a middle-order power-hitter/finisher. Faced 93 balls in the tournament, and hit 22 of them for six.

Rohan Mustafa – Without a team after leaving Desert Vipers following two good seasons, he showed in the development tournament final that there are no greater competitors in UAE cricket.

Vriitya Aravind – A point to prove to both the ILT20 recruiters and the UAE selectors, the 22-year-old captained Gulf Giants to the title and scored 243 runs in the process.

Raees Ahmed – The leading run getter in the development tournament. His aggregate of 307 runs for the Thunderbolts included a century and came at an average of 76.75.

Uzair Khan – The competition’s leading wicket-taker ended on the losing side in the final. His haul of 16 wickets was five more than the next best, and he was thrifty, too, going at less than a run a ball.