Haseeb Hameed mystery hopefully solved

HUW TURBERVILL: Relief and elation has erupted among his supporters now anyway. His name is trending on Twitter again. Cricket fans message each other. "Hameed's on 98!" "Hameed has a ton." "Hameed's back!" Such was the impression he made in India

Haseeb Hameed and Sam Billings called into Test squad

When Haseeb Hameed emerged in 2016, he earned the nickname ‘Baby Boycott’. After two strong seasons with Nottinghamshire, including back-to-back centuries at Worcester this summer and a recall to the England squad to face New Zealand, he might now be the ‘Comeback Kid’.

In 2018 he tested his self-belief to the full. In 10 Championship matches he averaged 9.70. That prompted Lancashire director of cricket Paul Allott to share some candid thoughts about his 22-year-old charge in pre-season. “He is a dilemma for us – we gave him more opportunity, probably, than he deserved. Far too many games probably, but having said that, I’ve not seen a more talented young opening batsman in my 40-odd years in the game.”

That dilemma is – hopefully – now no more. His shot selection looks excellent again. He is cutting and pulling with the wristy relish that impressed in 2016. 

It is a struggle to think of a player who has started his career so brightly, only to plummet so far.

Rewind to 2016, and a future star was born. He made four Championship centuries, becoming the first Lancastrian to score them back to back in each innings of the Roses match at Old Trafford (the last time he reached three figures).

England selection followed. He watched, waited and learned in Bangladesh, then was blooded in India as Alastair Cook’s 10th opening partner since Andrew Strauss retired. Supporters from England and India, where his family hail from, took him to their hearts. He made 31 and 82 (the highest score by an England teenager, in front of his family in the crowd) in the draw at Rajkot; 13 and 25 in the defeat at Visakhapatnam; and nine and – most inspirationally and uplifting of all – 59 not out at Mohali (albeit in another loss).

That second half-century of the series came from the No.8 position. He had a broken finger. Fuelled by Paracetamol, he put some team-mates to shame. They had surrendered their wickets tamely. He dug in, showing application and determination, despite his discomfort. 

^{Haseeb Hameed is back in the England Test squad}

In this era of T10, T20, The Hundred, going hard at it from ball one, “you don’t win games by batting long periods of time, you win games by scoring big runs”, and so on, England at least had a Test opener who batted in the traditional way (hence the comparison with the great Boycs); someone who could carry the baton passed on by Cook.

To cap it all off, he pleaded with the management to be allowed to stay on the tour, to play in the fourth and fifth Tests. What bravery! Sensibly they insisted he returned to England for surgery on his dodgy digit. He was an asset who needed protecting for the long term... but no one could have envisaged how he would struggle.

There was always ‘second-season syndrome’ to consider of course, and 2017 started badly. Many felt it was because he was also now playing in Lancashire’s 50-over side (with some success – he averaged 39 in eight matches). Had it tainted his four-day approach? He was not leaving as many balls. He was suddenly seeking expansive drives, nicking off. The new Boycs? No. He seemed to be boycotting the obduracy that had served him so well.

He was not picked by England. Was that the right call? Many thought he had done so well in India, he deserved to retain his spot irrespective of how he performed for Lancashire. England so badly needed somebody like him. Maybe we were being too desperate. You cannot discount county form. That would be disrespectful to his rivals.

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“Where his form and function have disappeared to is a complete and utter mystery to us,” said Allott. 

Many criticised him for being too candid. He may argue that it was the type of ‘tough love’ Hameed needed.

Relief and elation has erupted among his supporters now anyway. His name is trending on Twitter again. Cricket fans message each other. ‘Hameed’s on 98!’ ‘Hameed has a ton.’ ‘Hameed’s back!’ Such was the impression he made in India. Such is the nation’s love of Test cricket. Such is the need to have a player who prizes his wicket so dearly; who keeps his head when all about him are losing theirs.

“You have your game-plans when you bat,” he told me as he picked up his award for best professional young player at the Asian Cricket Awards at The Oval in 2016. “A lot of people say I am a traditionalist, but I just play my way. I know my strengths.”

Now he seems to have remembered them. Thank goodness.