Sami Aslam pulls out of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, leaving for US

KARACHI: Pakistan’s solid discarded Test opener Sami Aslam has decided to leave for the United States to seek a cricketing career there, it was learnt on Thursday.

According to sources, the left-handed batsman informed Balochistan team management through an email the other day that he would not be available for the rest of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (first-class).

The sudden step to quit his domestic first-class team jolted his team management. Sami is the fifth player of Balochistan playing XI for the QT (first-class) who will not be available for the side being coached by former Test cricketer Faisal Iqbal.

Leggie Yasir Shah, Imran Butt and Ammad Butt will tour New Zealand with Pakistan teams, while Adnan Akmal has tested positive for coronavirus. The absence of five key players has left Balochistan a truncated side for the rest of the first-class season.

According to a highly reliable source, Sami was not taking interest in the domestic season. The source said that Sami had been contacted for the National T20 first phase but he had shown his unavailability, citing illness of his mother. He then was again contacted for the final phase of National T20 in Rawalpindi but again he did not show any interest.