SHANGLA: Zahid Alam, son of a tea seller belonging to Puran area of Shangla district, has been selected in the national Under-19 cricket squad.

Mr Alam is an all-rounder and will take part in his first international cricket tournament, which will be played in Sri Lanka from Dec 13 this year. His father has a tea stall in Anarkali Bazaar, Lahore, and he belonged to the suburbs of Puran tehsil.

Mr Alam is a student of 10thgrade in Lahore`s boys high School, Lakshmi. Talking to this correspondent, Mr Alam said that he belonged to Shangla Puran and his father was a tea seller.

He said that cricket was his passion and he earlier took part in Lahore region cricket matches as an all-rounder. He said that they would go to Sri Lanka for participation in the Under-19 Asia Cricket Series on Dec 13. He said that most of the players in the U-19 squad were Pakhtuns, including team captain Zaryab Asif who had been residing in Rawalpindi.

Mr Alam said that he had proved that players from even poor families could play in the top tournaments if given chance.

Alam Khan, father of the cricketer, told this correspondent it was unbelievable to hear that his son had been selected in the Pakistan Under-19 cricket squad. He said that it was the result of his son`s hard work and his coach`s efforts that he was selected.