The name Yasir Jan might not ring a bell right now. But the 21-year-old boy from Pakistan is on his way to glory as he is set to create history and make a mark in the world of cricket.
Son of a greengrocer, Yasir possesses the rare talent of bowling at pace with either arm - around 145 km/hr with right and 135km/hr with his left. Even though Yasir's bowling is similar to his idol Dale Steyn, Yasir said in an interview to AFP that it was Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram who initially inspired him to train hard and be as good.
" Waqar bhai (brother) and Wasim bhai were bowling in 2003 when I saw my first World Cup. I really liked watching them. I'd copy them. And I kept working at it and I got good. And it's helped me get picked," said Yasir who has been bowling with both arms since he was a kid.
His first step towards making a mark in cricket came when he got selected for Rawalpindi U-16s in 2012 and Lahore's National Cricket Academy in 2013, which only the top talent of the country get to be a part of.
Yasir, who is now targetting a position in the national team, came into prominence for his talent when he appeared for an under-19 match for Rawalpindi. The captain had then told Yasir to try left-hand bowling since they were already going down and that decision changed the game and Yasir's life, who got his first four-wicket haul.
He became a household name in Pakistan when he displayed his special skills for the talent hunt for the Lahore Qalandars, conducted by Aaqib Javed, ex Pakistan cricketer. Yasir has now landed himself with an offer to play for the Pakistan Super League's Lahore Qalandars.
His coach Muhammad Salman said, "Yasir has been an amazing talent. He came from a very poor background, we all know that. And obviously it will take time, minimum six months to a year."
People who know Yasir and believe in him, including Yasir's coaches, are financially assisting him so that the boy's physical fitness and nutrition are not compromised.
Yasir, who is on his way to realise his dream, said, "Now I've got a good platform so with hard work I hope to achieve my goal of playing for Pakistan, my country. To go to the biggest grounds around the world and the best players. This is my goal and my dream."