As Yasir Hameed walked out to take guard today, one section of the VIP enclosure at the Arbab Niaz stadium was praying fervently. For his large family who had come to see Yasir bat these were tense moments. Only Rashid Hameed seemed confident of a big score by his younger brother. ‘‘This is his home ground. Yasir knows how it plays. He will get a big score,’’ were Rashid’s confident words at the start of play.Yasir began playing with a proper cricket ball at the age of 11 and as some of his friends and family members recall, he was always determined to make it to the big league. ‘‘He was a very stubborn batsman and refused to get out. It was tough to take the bat away from him,’’ reminisces younger brother Saqib of their childhood days of playing street cricket together.After finishing junior school from the Federal Government Boys Public School in Peshawar, Yasir forced his way into the prestigious Edwardes college in 1994 on the basis of his cricket talent.But, the administrators at Edwardes had serious doubts about his chances of playing in the college team. ‘‘He was small in stature and we were sure that he wouldn’t be able to make it to the team full of tall and well-built Pathan kids. But an hour at the nets and I was convinced he was special,’’ remembers cricket-in-charge at Edwardes Jamal Khan.Through his school and college days Yasir batted in the middle-order and he made his debut for Pakistan at the Number three position against New Zealand in the Bank AlFalah Cup at Dambulla. But it was his Test debut against Bangladesh at Karachi that was sensational. Back to back centuries in both the innings and the cricket world knew another major star was on the rise in the Pakistan horizon.Before the start of the game today, his house in the Old City in Peshawar was bustling with activity. His short trip home before the 3rd ODI generated a lot of excitement around the neighbourhood as well. But Yasir appeared a bit unnerved with all the attention he was getting, saying, ‘‘My job is to do well for my team. This is a big series for both the sides and I hope I can contribute on my home ground to help us win.’’Out for 98 and his mother’s eyes filled up almost immediately. But there was an unmistakable glow of pride on the faces of the entire family. For most Pakistanis, he is their country’s equivalent to Dravid — stubborn as a wall. A quality that has stayed with him since his childhood.For Saqib, it’s a relief to see his brother get another big score. Now he can sleep peacefully till the eve of the 4th ODI at Lahore. But he isn’t complaining. He’s used to sleepless nights before any international match that Yasir plays. ‘‘As long as the runs are coming, I don’t mind insomnia,’’ says a beaming Saqib as he proudly watches his older brother get the man-of-the-match award.
