13 Facts about Haseeb Hameed: The teenage batting sensation

Haseeb Hameed, the teenage sensation from Lancashire, was rewarded for his wonderful debut season as a pro with a place in the England squad for the tour Bangladesh. He is set to replace regular opener Alex Hales and would possibly open with Alastair Cook in the first Test which begins next month.

The 19-year-old batsman of Indian origin may be an unknown name among cricket fans but those in the English cricketing circle know him very well and admire his prodigious talent.

“If Test cricket survives and thrives, then here’s a boy who was born to open the batting in it. I just hope the game lasts long enough for him to play it,” said Mick Newell, England selector, Nottinghamshire supremo.

After having performed supremely at the age group level, Hameed made his first-class debut only this season. It didn’t take him long to create a wave in the domestic circles and by the end of the season, he had already grabbed enough attention to place his case for selection in the Test squad.

1.Born on:

Haseeb Hameed was born on January 17, 1997, Bolton, Lancashire. He is of Indian origin.

2. Early life:

Hameed grew up in a cricket crazy family and is the youngest among three brothers Safwaan and Nauman. He did his schooling Bolton School, Greater Manchester.

3. Early cricketing memories:

Hameed, in an interview, states that his earliest cricketing memories is of the days when he, as an eight-year-old, would play with the oversized cricket gears which his brothers, who were 12 and 11 years his senior to him respectively would use.

4. ‘Cricket mad’ Dad spots the spark:

His father, Ismail, who moved from India and settled in Bolton, was “cricket mad” and his love for cricket brushed off on Hameed and his two older brothers.

“Dad used to take my brothers to the park opposite my house, just to play and train,” he remembers. “After school I’d go and join them, just to help out. Suddenly I was asking Dad to throw me balls and then at the age of eight I started playing hard-ball cricket. I would rock up with oversized gear and demand to play. Dad clearly saw a little bit of a spark in me.”

5. Too skinny to play cricket:

He began playing cricket at the age of 8 as a leg spinner for Tonge Cricket Club and then went for the trials with Lancashire with the Under-11s where he was rejected for being too small and skinny.

6. Becomes a batsman:

Hameed made his transition from being a bowler to becoming a batsman after he hit 48 not out as a tail-ender. The following summer he got his first hundred as an opener for Lancashire.

7. Named club player of the year:

Hameed won the coveted Cedric Rhodes Trophy aged just 11. The award is given to the club’s player of the year award for Under-19 and below.

8. Dropped from the 2016 Under-19 World Cup squad:

Hameed looked like a strong prospect to join England’s Under-19 World Cup team (he was the U-19 skipper at that time). But, unfortunately, the talented right-hander could not make it to the team and was ignored for the tournament. He got this heart breaking news from England’s coach Andy Hurry who informed him at the team hotel in Sri Lanka that he would not be going to the World Cup.

9. First Class debut:

He signed a four-year contract for Lancashire ahead of the 2016 season and made his first-class debut for Lancashire against Glamorgan in August 2015, opening the batting and scoring 28 in his first innings. By the end of that season, he had scored over 1,129 runs at an average of over 53 and broke former England skipper Mike Atherton’s record as the youngest Lancashire player to reach that landmark.

10. A prodigious talent:

Last season, Hameed achieved what other Lancashire batsmen had never done before – score two centuries in a Roses match. He is also the first teenage opener to score four Championship centuries in a season and the youngest player in the first-class history to score two in a match.

11. Centuries against top bowling attacks:

Hameed scored his first hundred this season against Warwickshire team whose bowling attack comprised of Jeetan Patel, Rikki Clarke, Keith Barker. The second ton came against the strong Yorkshire line-up which had the likes of the Stuart Broad and Imran Tahir in their attack.

12. A craftsman with the bat:

Top class temperament, fine stroke making ability, and strong basics have earned him a very respectful recognition in the domestic circles. In fact, Lancashire Head Coach and Cricket Director Ashley Giles and Club Captain Steven Croft did not look surprised when he received the call-up. Both stated that they admired his talent and he thoroughly deserved it.

13. History beckons:

If Hameed plays in the first Test in Chittagong, he will become only the second teenager to appear in the longer form of the game for England since 1949. All-rounder Ben Hollioake, who was 19 when he played against Australia in 1997, is the only other teenager to appear in a Test for England since 18-year-old Brian Close made his debut in 1949.