Sohail Butt

Sohail Butt (Also Known as Sohail Ahmed) (born 6 June 1966 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan) is a former international cricketer for the United Arab Emirates. After one first-class game and one List A game for Lahore City Blues in 1985–86, Butt next appeared on cricket radar playing for his adopted country of the United Arab Emirates in two One Day Internationals in the Pepsi Austral-Asia Cup in 1993–94, where he played against India and Pakistan in Sharjah, UAE. Butt also competed in the 1993–94 ICC Trophy.

Early and Personal Life

Butt was born to a middle-class family in Lahore and despite being named ahead of the likes of Waqar, Wasim and Aaqib in the domestic fast-bowling circuit in the 80's, he had to quit cricket in Pakistan and leave for UAE where he worked minimum-wage jobs to feed his family in Lahore. But the turning point in his career came when he was noticed by UAE cricket officials in the early 90's while he practiced in the nets in Abu Dhabi. Butt got an immediate call-up for the national side camp where he was able to impress his case upon the selectors. During that time, when the UAE cricket team was in its formative phase, a bowler of Butt's caliber who could seam five in six deliveries, swing both ways and clock up to 90 mph was an obvious choice.

While the UAE side that later played the Australasia cup against India and Pakistan in 1993-94 had almost no known UAE nationals, Butt was the only Pakistani who managed to bag two wickets against the formidable Indian batting line-up. Had a catch of his bowling taken on the long-off boundary, Butt could also have taken the prized scalp of the great Sachin Tendulkar. Butt was also named in the UAE's squad for the 1996 Cricket World Cup but he couldn't participate due to personal reasons.