Pakistani leg-spinner Usama Mir signs a three-year T20 deal with Worcestershire

Is Usama Mir eligible for British citizenship?

Usama Mir is eligible for citizenship in Britain as his wife, Rabia Mir, is a British citizen. However, he has not officially announced his retirement from Pakistan cricket. He was among the players who signed a three-year contract with the PCB through 2023 after protracted negotiations, but was dropped from the central contracts list last year. He last played international cricket in April 2024. His relationship with the board also suffered a setback when Worcestershire Rapids signed him last year, following which the PCB refused to give him an NOC, and he had to pull out of the T20 Blast. The PCB informally cited the "PSL Plus Two" policy, which barred players from playing in more than two foreign T20 leagues in 12 months. Some media reports have revealed that Mir wants to continue playing domestic cricket in Pakistan for the time being. Although he can do so for the next two seasons, he will have to register as a foreign player in any domestic cricket played in Pakistan from 2027, as his status in the UK is that of a local player.

Usama Mir’s performance for Pakistan

Mir has played five T20 Internationals and 12 ODIs for Pakistan. In ODI, his best performance was when he took four wickets for 43 runs in 10 overs in the fourth ODI match of New Zealand's tour of Pakistan 2023. While his best performance in T20 also came against New Zealand when New Zealand was playing the fifth T20 match on the Pakistan tour 2024, there he took two wickets in four overs for 21 runs. Usama is a well-known name on the global T20 circuit. He has played in leagues such as the Big Bash League (BBL), The Hundred, the Global Super League, and the Pakistan Super League (PSL). In 156 T20 matches, Mir has taken 178 wickets at an average of 22.94 and an economy rate of 7.70 and has also scored 491 runs in the format. He was also the highest wicket-taker in PSL 2024. He took 24 wickets in 12 matches at an impressive average of 15.87 while playing for Multan Sultans in 2024.