Yasir Hameed

Yasir Hameed

Yasir Hameed Qureshi (Urdu: یاسر حمید قریشی) (born 28 February 1978 in Peshawar, originally from Kukmang, District Abbottabad) is a Pakistani cricketer. He scored two centuries on his Test debut against Bangladesh, becoming only the second player to do so. During his first thirty One Day International innings, he scored more runs than any other batsman, as well as scoring four successive opening partnerships of 100 or more with Imran Farhat, a unique achievement. He scored first 1000 ODI runs in just 22 matches, Fastest in Asia and third fastest in world.

Frail of build, Yasir's game is built on timing and an easy elegance. A technique more solid than many recent top-order Pakistani batsmen served him well in his career early on. His exploits in the one-day arena were initially as impressive, and he forged a superb combination with Imran Farhat at the top of the order: against New Zealand at home the pair put together a record four consecutive hundred partnerships. The early signs were promising then, but he developed a worrying tendency to waste his starts, making pretty 20s and then throwing it away, often by flailing at wide ones outside off. That saw him lose his place in the team in late 2004. Selectorial inconsistencies didn't help, Hameed being dropped the next match after scoring two fifties in a Test at Sydney. Thereafter opportunities have been limited: a few ODIs here and there (in all of which he has made contributions).

He was then left out of the squad because of a dip in form. He came back in the final ODI in the Bank Alfalah Series against England in 2005/6, scored 57 but was again ignored only to return against West Indies in the fourth match in November 2006, where he scored 71 runs from 118 balls.

Yasir has since impressed the selectors with good form in the domestic season with the bat but has not been given a real chance to cement his place in the side. He has recently been touring with the team but has only been given the odd match.

In September 2007, Yasir played a major role in defeating Australia A in a comprehensive 3-0 defeat while representing Pakistan A. He scored two centuries out of the three matches and was given good support by Naved Latif and Taufeeq Umar while the bowlers also did well in the series.

In 2003 on his Test debut he scored 170 runs in Karachi. This is the highest score by a Pakistani on debut. He also scored 105 in the second innings of the same match.

He played 22 further Tests before losing his place in the side following Pakistan's unsuccessful tour of India in 2007. He was recalled nearly 18 months later for Pakistan's two-match series against Australia, played in England owing to the security situation in Pakistan.