Exclusive | Electrician turned cricketer follows Shoaib Akhtar's pace after leaving Pakistan; eyes focused on huge ILT20 milestone | Cricket news

Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Jawad Ullah (Creimas photo)

NEW DELHI: “Only 8 runs were needed in the last over. There was a lot of pressure because defending just 8 runs in the last over is very difficult. They had 2 wickets left,” UAE left-hander Mohammed Jawad Ullah remembered. Just a fortnight ago, the fast bowler was tasked with what many considered almost impossible. In the final of the ILT20 Golf Cricket Championship (GCC), Kuwait needed just a handful of runs to deny the UAE their first title.
Kuwaiti batsman Meet Bhavsar, who looked solid with 68 off 52, was the one many had bet their house on to close out the match. The start of the over did not suggest late drama either.
“The first ball went wide and the second ball delivered a four. That's when I went to the captain and he gave me a plan,” Jawad Ullah said in an exclusive chat with TimesofIndia.com.

Go beyond the border with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
What happened next? The answer lay in one name: Jawad Ullah.
“I bowled based on the captain's plan and the batsman went out,” said Jawad Ullah, vividly recalling the decisive moment when his teammate Nilansh Keswani took an incredible catch and sent the dangerous Bhavsar back to the pavilion.
The 25-year-old left-arm pace spearhead then smelled blood: “That was the last wicket, which was easy for me. I bowled a yorker and he got out too. So this was an impossible match that we won. “
“Getting Bhavsar out was very difficult because he was all set. But I bowled to plan and we won,” grinned a pleased Jawad Ullah, who was named Player of the Match for his eleventh-hour heroics as the UAE achieved their first GCC title under the Ring of Fire at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

From Pakistan to the UAE: where cricket dreams find wings

The now 25-year-old Jawad Ullah, from the Malakand district of Pakistan, has been pursuing his cricket dreams since childhood. In a household with parents, four brothers and two sisters, cricket was seen more as a means of entertainment than as a pursuit of professional ambition.
“In Pakistan, I only played tennis ball cricket. There was no coach or experienced player to guide me. Many people told me to join an academy for hard ball cricket. My thought was that there are so many talented players who don't even do that.” I got the opportunity, so I didn't know what it was at that moment, maybe fear or something else,” says Jawad Ullah.

Life took a crucial turn in 2020 when Jawad, burdened with family responsibilities, moved to the UAE and took up residence in Khor Fakkan, a quaint town on the Gulf of Oman.
Then came life's twists and turns as he took on the physically demanding job of an electrician. Working long hours from morning to night was nature's trick to keep him away from cricket.
Amid all the chaos, twenty-year-old Jawad Ullah had little time to sweat his arms. “I didn't get much time to play cricket, only about 1-2 hours. Even then I played with a tennis ball because playing with a hard ball takes a lot of time, at least 5-6 hours.”
Fate intervened when his skills with the tennis ball began to attract attention. There was a brother named Sadiq. He told me I had talent and said, 'You have to play hard ball. I said, 'Okay, I'm going to play hard ball. hard ball. So as I was casually bowling a hard ball, a man came up to me and said, “You're bowling really well for our team.” I said, 'Okay, done.' ,” revealed Jawad Ullah.

Now confident that playing cricket could become a full-time profession, the former tennis ball master is making waves among his siblings back home.
“The youngest of us has a great interest in cricket; he is also a bowler. The one who is 2 years younger than me has stopped playing cricket and is completely focused on his studies. But the one who is even younger still plays cricket. He tells me to take him to the UAE, and I tell him, 'Now it's time for your studies' (laughs),” joked the 25-year-old, who eventually left the job in 2022 and subsequently made his international debut. made in a T20I. agreement against Afghanistan in February 2023.

I follow Shoaib Akhtar's pace

Having played 42 T20 matches in T20 competitions and with 60 scalps to his name, Jawad Ullah has already earned a lot of plaudits.
Recently, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir praised the left-arm seamer and during an interaction with TimesofIndia.com, described him as one of the most promising talents in UAE cricket.
“Yes, Amir Bhai and I played together in the Abu Dhabi T10. At that time we had a conversation in the nets. He told me that if I mastered the slower ball, it would become very difficult for batters to read me .He also praised my inswing and said my inswing is really good,” the pacer added.
Reflecting on his debut at the iconic Abu Dhabi ground against Afghanistan, Jawad highlighted the invaluable experience he gained. “Since I made my debut on the Abu Dhabi pitch against Afghanistan, I have learned a lot. Playing with so many players, working with coaches and trainers, I feel like brothers teaching and guiding me,” said Jawad Ullah before delivering his greatest purpose revealed. .

Growing up in Pakistan, a country known for producing world-class fast bowlers, Jawad often found inspiration watching the legends, especially Shoaib Akhtar, on television.
“As a kid, we used to watch cricket on TV and see Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Amir bowling. This was around 2008 or 2009. I was always fascinated by fast bowlers, especially Shoaib Akhtar,” admitted Jawad Ullah, who averaged easily 130-135 km/h could clock. to dawn. “I remember thinking how fast he bowled and dreaming that one day I would also bowl as fast as him. Even today, after all the training and hard work, I have not yet reached his level, but you have to keep trying.”

'I want to be the best bowler in ILT20'

Jawad Ullah's side Sharjah Warriorz will kick off their ILT20 tournament with a match against Golf giants on Sunday. Jawad admitted that he had prepared rigorously for the upcoming season, leaving no stone unturned.
“Right now everything is going very well, and all the players and management are very satisfied. Personally, I train hard, so my body is put under a lot of strain. I spend almost an hour in the gym, 4-5 hours of bowling, and also have to work on fielding,” he explained.

For someone as talented as this pacer, platforms like the IPL obviously represent a career highlight. However, during last year's auction, Jawad Ullah missed out on an IPL bid due to an unfortunate turn of events.
“I had submitted my name for the IPL but there were some paper-related issues so that didn't happen. There was some problem with the passport and that's why I couldn't get through.”
Jawad Ullah, a fan of former India captain MS Dhoni, has only one dream that gives him sleepless nights: “I want to be the best bowler in the ILT20 and win the trophy.”