Umar Gul recalls his U19 World Cup turnaround

By Tasawwar Abbas

LAHORE (TheSportsNext) August 2, 2012: Pakistan’s number one fast bowler Umar Gul said Wednesday that the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup had turned around his career and resurrected his international career when he was on brink of leaving the gentlemen’s game.

Umar Gul is Pakistan’s most successful fast bowler in Twenty20 cricket and has been equally successful in One Day International cricket and was the best bowler in the ICC World Twenty20 2009. 

Umar Gul was struggling to find his place in the national team in the 2001-02 Season and had almost made his mind to quit the game before finding a place in the country’s U19 World Cup team. During the tournament played in New Zealand, Umar Gul captured 11 wickets at strike rate of 12.72 runs per wicket.

Umar Gul, who has taken 158 wickets each from 45 Tests and 111 ODIs, recalled the 2002-season, “I was on the verge of walking away from cricket after a poor 2000-2001 domestic U19 tournament following which I was not selected in the Pakistan Academies team. But then I gave myself a last chance, worked hard by attending the Academy side's training sessions as a net bowler until I was picked in the fast bowlers' camp that was supervised by Daryl Foster”.

"Lady Luck finally smiled at me when I was selected in the Pakistan squad for the ICC U19 CWC 2002 and though the event turned out to be a poor one for the side, personally I benefitted as I regained my form, picked up some key wickets and when changes were made in the Pakistan side following a disastrous ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, I was able to find a place”, Umar Gul recalled.

He further stated, "I owe it big time to the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2002. If that opportunity had not been provided to me at that time, I would have left cricket and reverted my attention and focus to academics”.

Umar Gul added, “The ICC U19 CWC provides you a launching pad and also gives you a chance to test yourself against the best players from all over the world in that age group. It gives you a very good idea which level of cricket you belong to and what you need to do to survive or excel at the highest level”.