Pakistan’s leg-spinner, Usama Mir, has broken his silence, expressing deep disappointment and confusion over being repeatedly ignored by national selectors despite consistent performances and unwavering dedication.
In a revealing interview with a sports outlet, the 29-year-old cricketer laid bare his grievances, raising serious questions about the fairness and transparency of the selection process.
Mir highlighted his achievements, stating, “When I’m available, I don’t get selected – so what’s left to say about anything else? I just don’t understand it.”
He pointed out that he was the highest wicket-taker in the previous PSL season but was still not picked for the national team. “This year, although I didn’t perform at that level, there were still players with worse performances who got selected. It’s very clear to me now,” he added.
At 29 years old, Mir feels that he has been unfairly treated in his career. He remarked, “I feel like I’m at a stage where, if I were given a chance, the response would simply be, ‘Perform well and you’ll be selected,’ and so on.”
He emphasized his record-breaking achievements, noting, “Even today, I still hold the record for the most wickets in a single PSL season over ten editions—but despite that, I wasn’t picked.”
Mir also addressed the criticism regarding his fitness, explaining how he took significant steps to improve. “After that, I worked extremely hard. They made fitness an excuse. I was told I failed the fitness test, so I trained hard. I was captain of the Sialkot team; the trainers, the head coach—all can vouch for me,” he revealed.
Despite his efforts, he claims he was never given the opportunity to prove his fitness. “I got myself fit. They told me, ‘You’re being given time. Your test will be conducted later as Champions T20 is approaching.’ But even at the promised time, no test was taken,” he lamented. Mir described the communication breakdown with selectors, stating, “They took a whole month to reply to just one of my messages. I was told, ‘Your test is scheduled on this date.’ That date never came.”
Concluding his statement, Usama Mir expressed his disbelief at the treatment he has received, saying, “These are the kind of things that happened with me—and I’m genuinely shocked as to why. I have proof of everything I’ve said.”
