‘When you’re a left-arm fast bowler in Pakistan, you look up to Wasim Akram’ – Saad Bin Zafar reflects on his idol while growing up [Exclusive]

In an exclusive interview with CricTracker, Canadian cricketer Saad Bin Zafar shared his thoughts on leading the Canadian team on the world stage. He spoke about how he earned the nickname ‘Vettori’ and revealed that Evin Lewis has been the most challenging batter he has faced, while also naming George Munsey as a tough opponent at the associate level.

Saad also reflected on his journey from fast bowling to spin, explaining who advised him to make the switch while managing his injuries. He named Wasim Akram as his bowling idol and Saeed Anwar as his inspiration in batting.

Excerpts from the interview

From club cricket to leading Canada on the world stage, did you ever imagine this journey? 

To be honest, I never actually imagined that one day I would be playing for Canada and representing them in international cricket. I was always being pushed by my parents to focus on my studies and build a good career, whether as a doctor, an engineer, or something similar. So I never really thought that cricket would become a full-time profession for me. I was just playing for fun and later started playing club cricket on the side. Then, all of a sudden, I happened to get a call-up for Canada, and that’s where my international career journey began. Now, looking back at a career that has spanned over 17 years, including leading Canada in the last T20 World Cup, it truly feels like a dream. I’ve been able to represent Canada for such a long time, and it’s something I had never really planned. 

Who first called you ‘Vettori’, and did that nickname change the way you saw yourself as a bowler?

I was playing for a club called Popeyes Cricket Club. Rizwan Cheema was our captain there, and I was playing under him. When I switched to spin bowling, my teammates started teasing me in a fun way. Since “Vettori” felt like a copyrighted name, they began calling me “Vatora” instead. That’s how my identity as a left-arm spinner kind of picked up that nickname. At that point, people at the club hardly called me by my real name. Instead of calling me Saad, they would call me Vettori or Vatora.

Which batter has challenged you the most at the international level?

Yes, absolutely. Almost every other day, there is a new challenge. But if I have to mention something specifically, in 2020 when I went to play in the CPL, Evin Lewis was in tremendous form at that time. Bowling to him was extremely tough. He is definitely one of the batters I found very challenging to bowl to.

At the associate level as well, the competition is very strong. For example, whenever we play against Scotland, George Munsey is always a difficult batter to handle. He plays on both sides of the wicket and uses shots like the reverse sweep very effectively, which makes it tough for a spinner.

In international cricket, you are bound to face strong competition, and that challenge never really stops. Even at the age of 39, after a 17-year journey, the challenges keep coming and that’s what keeps the game exciting.

From dreaming of being Wasim Akram to being forced to quit fast bowling, can you throw us some light on your journey?

Yes, absolutely. When I started playing cricket in Pakistan, I began with tape-ball cricket. In tape-ball cricket, you bowl fast; there’s really no role for a spinner. While I was growing up, Pakistan had great fast bowlers like Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, and Waqar Younis, so they were all my heroes. I used to bowl left-arm pace, and if you’re a left-arm fast bowler in Pakistan, you naturally look up to Wasim Akram because there wasn’t really anyone else to idolize in that role. I admired him a lot and even tried to copy his bowling action.

When I started playing club cricket, I continued as a fast bowler. But then I suffered a back injury. At that time, my captain was Rizwan Cheema, who later also played for Canada. He suggested that I switch to spin bowling. However, when you’re a fast bowler, your mindset is all about pace, beating the batter with speed and aggression. So initially, I refused and said I would recover from the injury and continue bowling fast. But the injury recurred. After the second time, I decided to focus on a new craft and become a spinner.

Once I made the switch, I started doing well as a spinner, and eventually, I received a call-up to play for Canada as a left-arm spinner.

Who was your idol while growing up?

Growing up, Wasim Akram and, in batting, it was Saeed Anwar