There’s nothing in cricket quite like the sight of a fast bowler operating in full flight. Maybe it’s because genuine pace doesn’t grow on trees. Or because trying to extract assistance from a docile wicket can be about as pleasant as extracting a tooth. Whatever it is, when someone slings a rock-hard kookaburra at speeds illegal on most roads, usually the watching audience seems to wake up a little and pay attention more closely.
For City United Cricket Club, Mohammed Faizan Karamat presented an asset too good to let him go under the radar.
Down on the oval’s cricket nets at Carinya, 1st Grade skipper Tait Jordan didn’t need to be asked twice what he thought of the young Pakistan native:
“He’s electric mate. He gets a bit of a bite out of the wicket when he comes in and gets that wrist behind it, and really lets it go.”
Jordan remarked there isn’t a huge supply of genuine speed around the traps in first grade at the moment, making Karamat’s pace all the more unique:
“He definitely brings a bit of x factor. Doesn’t have to be with a new ball, either. He always just manages to extract something.”
Likening the Tamworth Surrounds to his native Islamabad, the young 27 year old is a cool customer under a scorching thursday afternoon sky.
Apart from a film of sweat hugging his face and limbs, he appears otherwise unbothered as he taxis toward the end of his mark, preparing to hurl another cricket ball down to a waiting batsmen.
Arms moving like pistons and legs pumping like a sprinter, the young bowler tears toward his target before his arms snap and the ball whooshes into the back of the net.
“Everyone else seems to struggle to get it through” Jordan comments, “whereas he just lets it fly and it seems to carry through all right. So, yeah, it’s definitely something a bit different to what we’ve seen around here.”
It’s high praise from the captain, who has had the luxury of Jack McVey’s tall right arm seam giving batsmen the hurry up for the last few seasons, until a foot injury put him out of commission recently.
But for now, City are relishing the enthusiasm Karamat brings to the team, and he himself readily admits Tamworth isn’t too bad either:
“I originally came from Pakistan to Melbourne.”
The humble young man’s work as a maintenance engineer with Optus saw him relocated to the bush early this year, where he quickly resonated with the local cricket scene.
“I had a few practice matches with local clubs and I decided City was a pretty competitive team.”
Competitive is an understatement; in the previous two consecutive seasons, the top grade has walked away with the two day premiership as well as the 2nd grade two day premiership last season.
“A lot of homegrown talent goes a long way.” Jordan answered on where the rise in City’s stocks have come from.
“We tried getting overseas players, but that didn’t work. We invested in the young kids from fourth grade to play the long game and it’s paying off now.”
“Sam Davis and Nathan Clark started at the bottom and they’re both in 1st grade now. They’re ones to watch.”
Along with the young crop coming through, the rest of City are looking forward to watching Karamat go toe to toe with the region’s best cricketers.
“I’m just really enjoying it out here.” He says with a smile, “I love my work, I love my cricket.”
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