After serving UAE cricket for 17 years Saqib Ali thought his dream of playing at the World Cup was about to come true when the team qualified for the 2015 tournament.
However, that dream was shattered as the Pakistan-born batsman was dropped from the UAE’s squad for the World Cup, which gets under way in Australia and New Zealand next week.
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“I never felt so disappointed, depressed, and let down as on that day when I learnt through some of my teammates that I wasn’t in the World Cup squad,” Saqib said.
“Until then I thought I was, particularly after travelling with the team to Australia for the warm-up games and then playing in the matches that followed against New Zealand A, Afghanistan, and Pakistan A in Dubai.”
Saqib scored 73 not out against Papua New Guinea and was right up there with the team’s best batters – Khurram Khan, Shaiman Anwar and Swapnil Patil. Each scored at least one half-century in Australia.
“It was heartbreaking for me because I worked very hard in the last eight months to get back from injury, and it was very hard to say the reason why I wasn’t considered,” Saqib said.
Saqib returned from two serious injuries that needed surgery. He had a knee operation in 2011 and back surgery for a bulging disc last March.
“The World Cup was something that I looked forward to, having played cricket in the UAE for more than 17 years,” he said.
“Now that dream is no more for me. I can only console myself by thinking it happens all over the world and all sports.
“I spent most of my life to stay in good shape to play cricket. Whatever it may be, cricket provided me a good life up to now.
“I have a decent job and enjoyed every moment I played for the UAE and my employer, New Medical Centre Group.”
At 36, Saqib has plenty of experience to offer to the UAE set-up, but he is thinking of relocating in Pakistan to be with his young family.
“Perhaps now is the time to re-think how I go about for the rest of my life,” he said.
“I have four growing-up kids and they, too, need me by their side. I will see how life pans out for me in the next few months and decide.
“Until then I will continue playing for my employer, who has been supportive of my cricket since I joined them in October 1997.”
Saqib represented Pakistan Under 19 in 1995 but was subsequently dropped despite scoring heavily for his city, Multan, in the domestic competitions.
It was then that his family urged him to find employment abroad, as they couldn’t support him or his cricket.
“I had to make that decision, reluctantly, though, because for economic reasons,” he said.
“All the senior cricketers in the team told me I had a good chance of being called up for the national team again as I was very young at that time. But I have no regrets because life has been comfortable for me since moving to the UAE.
“Having played for the UAE my only wish was to play in the World Cup. I was very close to achieving that. Now that opportunity is lost, I have to decide what next is best for me.”
apassela@thenational.ae
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