I will go where my destiny takes me to: Usman Khan

Chattogram Challengers' Facebook post where they announced the signing of Usman Khan still has more than four thousand "haha reactions". An almost unknown commodity before his BPL debut, Usman was mocked for his looks and inability to speak English. He had played just seven T20s before coming to BPL and people on social media started questioning the quality of overseas players in the tournament. 

But for someone like Usman who is miles away from social media, it was impossible for him to know what people were talking about him. He blocked the outside noise and notched up a match-winning hundred in just his second BPL match. Since then, he has been a vital player at the top for Chattogram, averaging 33 and most importantly striking at close to 145.

Your team hasn't done well at the BPL. How has the journey been for you here in Bangladesh?

We were in the top four at one stage of the tournament and we had the belief that we could qualify for the playoffs. But it didn't happen. Our bowling was slightly weak. [After the Dhaka phase] we lost most of our games in Chattogram. Overall, the experience has been great. The wickets here are not like those in Pakistan or Australia. Here some stop, and some skid through. I have learned a lot and enjoyed my stay here.

You're playing the BPL for the first time. Did you ask for advice from any player in Pakistan before coming here?

Not really. Here, I kept on asking the local players about the behaviour of wickets in Dhaka, Chattogram and then Sylhet. I chose the wrong delivery in the first match and got out. In the second match, I trusted my go-to shots and got a hundred. Then after six-seven matches, I met [Mohammad] Rizwan bhai. He told me to spend some time in the middle before taking on the bowlers. I applied that in the 10th game and got a fifty. I am learning every day from all the experienced players around me.

Your hundred came in a big run-chase. Did you expect such carnage before the innings?

I spoke to my elder brother [prior to the match] and he told me to divide the innings into phases - 1-3 overs, 3-6 overs and then 7-15 overs. I followed that. I was 11 off 14 and then things started to go well. My plan was to respect good balls, go after bad ones and take down a spinner or a medium-fast bowler once in a while. 

Do you train separately for different roles in batting?

Not really. Every batter has his own template. Some play proper cricketing shots to build their innings such as Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. Some can hit right from the word "go". I know if I can spend some time in the middle, then I can go big. I believe I can go really big when set. So I back my strength and I don't believe there is any wicket in the world where you can come out upfront and hit everything out of the park.

You shifted to the UAE at the age of 22. How was your childhood in Pakistan?

I was born and brought up in Sheikhupura and I played my cricket there. I didn't get opportunities to play top-flight cricket there. But I could not simply let all the hard work waste. So I kept on moving to different places. My elder brother Nadim who is a first-class cricketer played age-level cricket for Pakistan and he shifted to Karachi. I followed suit but wasn't finding big clubs. 

Then one of my friends told me to go to Karachi Zone 6. But the team was studded with stars like Sarfaraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Saud Shakeel and Danish Aziz. So it was tough to get a breakthrough but I kept on grinding it out individually and in team practice. Then finally I got my chance and played well in a couple of tournaments. Then I played district cricket and Quaid-E-Azam Trophy but still didn't get enough top-level chances. 

Can you tell us about your family background?

My father doesn't have any idea about cricket. My mother passed away in 2013. I kept moving to different cities - Lahore, Karachi, Sheikhupura - for cricket. In Karachi, I didn't have a place to sleep at night. I used to spend nights in a room at the club ground and cook for myself. Things got a bit better after my marriage. My wife gave birth to twin babies. I used to play cricket for my department and get a good salary. But I became a victim of downsizing in Pakistan during Covid. At that stage, we didn't have money to pay rent. I kept on playing tape-ball cricket for money and looking for part-time jobs. 

When and why did you decide to move out of Pakistan?

I decided to shift to the UAE for the betterment of my family. We didn't have enough money to survive in Pakistan. The money I used to get playing club cricket was not enough. I am a family man and we live for our family and children, right? So I told myself that I would play cricket in the UAE and work at the same time and believed that someone would see my hard work and support me. 

You worked for a gas company in the UAE. At that time, did you think that you would get to play professional cricket again?

The Indian owner of the company didn't know me for the first couple of months. Then when we got along, I tried to convince him by telling that my salary was too low for my cricketing ability. Then I scored 140 off 38 or 39 balls in a 90-ball match. After that he supported me a lot and told me to focus on cricket. I left the job just a month before the BPL started and before that I used to work and play cricket simultaneously. 

You notched up as many as 18 centuries in seven months in the UAE. How did this happen?

In Pakistan, I played for a club that was filled with national team players. So breaking into that team was like making it into the national team. So I was very confident after I did so and in the UAE, the players in domestic cricket are not too skilled in some teams. I believed that I was the best there and if I could play 20 overs, a hundred would come automatically. There the bowling line-ups are weaker than those here. 

You couldn't fulfill your dream of playing for Pakistan. Now, what's your next plan?

I have said earlier that I will go where my destiny takes me to. If I can't go any further, I will be grateful to Allah for what I have done so far. What I can do is to work harder. In a few months, I will be eligible to play for the UAE and hope I'll make my debut soon. 

How much do you think your performance at the BPL will help you reach your destination?

Actually, I never knew I would play at the T10 or the PSL or the BPL. If you perform well, the world will find you. If you play well, people will support you and with this support, I want to go further and make a name for myself.