15-year-old leg spin prodigy Aroob wants to emulate Warne, Qadir

It’s pretty common for aspiring male legspinners to name Shane Warne and Abdul Qadir as their bowling idols but it doesn’t happen much in women’s cricketing circles.

It could perhaps be down to the fact that leg spin remains one of the most technical arts in cricket, and only a select few try their hands at it.

Syeda Aroob Shah is an exception and a trailblazer in this regard. Just 15, this Karachi-born not only hurls two-way tricks with her pronated hand but also watches tapes of the very best in the business, hoping to emulate what they managed in their legendary careers.

“Abdul Qadir and Shane Warne were great bowlers of their times,” Aroob, who along with captain Bismah Maroof is the only one who bowls leg spin the national fold, told Geo News.

“I am greatly influenced by them. I watch their videos and learn a lot from their bowling. I want to be successful like them.”

Still just a teenager, Aroob got her sole senior cap recently in the second ODI against Bangladesh where she finished with a decent 2-37 bowling figures.

“It felt great [to receive my first cap],” she said. “It was an honour for me. I took the field with a positive mindset. Of course, being nervous is natural but I kept on motivating myself that ‘I have to do better’.”

But Aroob isn’t going to be content with just one cap as she targets a regular run in the side. “Now that I have played for Pakistan, I’d have to work twice as hard. I will definitely retain my place. My desire and target is to keep on playing continuously.”

While family support can be a problem at times for girls trying to take up sports, it wasn’t a problem for Aroob. “My dad and cousin used to play cricket. I developed interest in the sport after watching them. Then my dad encouraged me to become a cricketer. I did not disappoint him and became one.”

An early trendsetter at just 15, Aroob’s message to other girls like her is to “not consider themselves weak and step forward”.

“Today there are so many opportunities … they just need to be availed. There are plenty of academies too. Visit them, showcase your skills, play for Pakistan and make the country proud,” she said.