Former truck driver in UAE cricket team

A passionate few work hard towards achieving a goal but surrender when they fail to see a road ahead, but there are others who fight against all odds until they taste success. Abdul Haq is a perfect example of the latter as until a year ago he was just an ordinary heavy truck driver and has now been selected to the 24-member UAE team for the ICC Inter-continental Cup in the Netherlands in July. It was never an easy road for the 28-year-old who faced a lot of hardships but never let go of his passion to play cricket. "I was passionate to play at the highest level," said Haq, a fast bowler. Hailing from a remote village in Waziristan in Pakistan, Haq's quest for cricket began when he happened to witness the 1992 World Cup live on television. "I saw TV for the first time in my life and the 1992 World Cup was on. I used to play lot of football till then but ended up having lot of injuries since we did not have proper grounds. I began playing cricket in my neighbourhood and a selection trial was held for the district under-19 team where I was selected," Haq added.A good performance ensured Haq was selected to the regional academy. But officials at the academy in order to ensure that his action was flawless sent videos of his action to Australia. "When the results came out I was cleared but it was my bad luck that the course at the National Cricket Academy had already began and I could not be enrolled mid-way. "Meanwhile pressure from parents was increasing since our financial state was not good and I was the eldest son in the family. I joined my dad who drove a truck but again kept sneaking away to play cricket whenever I found time. "I did that for almost a year but realised it was becoming too expensive since I had to travel to Peshawar every time," he explained. He then got an offer from his cousin in Dubai and decided to shift. "I worked really hard initially. Then I was introduced to Abu Dhabi Gymkhana captain Zayed Gulam Mustafa who is a gem of a person. He watched me play in a couple of matches and was happy with my performance. He supported me all the way. Meanwhile, I got my driving licence and did long route journeys. I used to drive 16 to 20 hours to Oman and back but used to play cricket with the little time I found. "But it became increasingly difficult. Thankfully I managed to shift to Abu Dhabi after Mustafa offered me a job," he continued. "I worked in Abu Dhabi for one and a half years when I was spotted at the Pakistan nets during the South Africa tour. I was asked to go to Pakistan but nothing much happened. When I returned I found a job in Dubai and this gave me more time to focus on cricket. "My parents now are confused and they are not sure what's happening but they are keen to see me on TV." UAE coach Aaqib Javed, who spotted him during Pakistan nets, said: "He is good because the first time I saw him everybody was shocked. He was quite fast and had a decent bowling action. We encouraged him to go to Pakistan but it's not easy to get into the team with so much of competition."