Mohammed Farooq achieves long-held dream with UAE debut at ACC Premier Cup

Given that Oman Cricket Academy Oval 2 is the ultimate batsman’s paradise, Mohammed Farooq might have been forgiven for ruing his luck when he was picked to debut there.

After years of trying, the 31-year-old leg spinner was finally handed his UAE cap for the first time on Friday when he was picked to play against Kuwait in the ACC Premier Cup.

It meant he had the privilege of bowling his leg breaks on one of the flattest wickets in the world, while defending short boundaries, with a rapid outfield.

To emphasise the point, a day later the national team posted their highest ever score in T20 internationals, as they amassed a whopping 236 for six against Bahrain. Of the UAE’s seven highest scores ever in the format, six have come at the venue.

And yet Farooq was never likely to baulk at the challenge. His journey to get here has been such a circuitous one, and shows he thrives on adversity.

He initially showed promise for the sport in his native Pakistan as a wicketkeeper-batter. He played for Mohmand, his district in the tribal areas of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, at Under 19 and Grade 2 level.

He also represented Peshawar University for four years, as well as playing for Higher Education Commission – the Pakistan universities team – in first-class cricket.

At one point he was tasked with giving throw downs to his colleague, the Pakistan star Iftikhar Ahmed, but he asked his mate if he would mind him trying something a bit different. It was a moment of revelation.

“One day we were going to tour Abbottabad and I was giving practice to Iftikhar,” Farooq said. “I told him instead of throw downs I’d bowl leg spin to give him that kind of practice.

“He said, OK. Then when I started bowling it worked well. He said,