Lyon shares the secrets with England's teen off-spin star

When Derbyshire's 18-year-old off-spinner Hamidullah Qadri feels like his game is off, he unlocks his phone, navigates to his saved videos and plays a very specific clip.

The footage is of Nathan Lyon, Australia's premier off-spinner, bowling his country to victory against Virat Kohli's India on the fifth and final of the Adelaide Test in 2014.

"Nathan has always been one of my favourites," Qadri told cricket.com.au.

"He's the best off-spinner in the world and I still have his videos on my phone saved, especially the one where he took 10-fa in 2014 against India, I always have that.

"He was on top of his game then and obviously now as well.

"Whenever I struggle or just have a few queries about off-spin I just go back, watch that then just work on it in the nets."

Image Id: CB9707283D744EDF834D2D3AD33EC032 Image Caption: Qadri all ears as Lyon shares his tips // Getty

On Friday morning, in the middle of the County Ground, an hour out from play starting on day two of Australia's three-day tour match against Qadri's Derbyshire side, the youngster did not need his phone to get pointers off Lyon.

He had the real thing in front of him.

For approximately 30 minutes, Qadri and Lyon covered almost a range of topics about everything spin bowling.

Speed. Spin. Flight. Field settings. Variations. Angles. Body position.

It was Off-Spin 101 with Lyon the tutor, Qadri the student.

"I've always wanted to get some time with Nathan and pick his brain," Qadri said.

"He's taken the third-most wickets for Australia and a nice bloke as well.

"There wasn't a lot of technical things, it was more tactical. Technique-wise I'm there.

"He said I bowl a good pace, spin the ball which is a good thing. Most important thing was setting fields and having plans to different batters on different pitches."

For an emerging off-spinner, getting a private lesson from one of Test cricket's most prolific spinners is something out of the ordinary.

But Qadri is no ordinary spinner.

His remarkable story began at the turn of the millennium in the war-torn south of Afghanistan.

Born December 6, 2000 in Kandahar, Qadri spent the first decade of his life being raised by his mother.

Seven months after Qadri was born, his father Hamid Qadri made the heartbreaking decision to leave his wife and four children and travel to UK to find work and support his family from abroad.

It took 10 long years but in 2011, the Qadri family left Kandahar and moved to England where they were reunited with Hamid. Up to that point, Qadri had only known his father as a face and a voice on a Skype call.

Once in the UK, Qadri was introduced to cricket having grown up with soccer in Afghanistan.

But after seeing her youngest son hurt his back bowling as fast as he could, Qadri's mother banned him from bowling flat out. So, he found a compromise – bowling spin.

As the first player born in the year 2000 to feature in the County Championship, of course Qadri learned his craft by watching the world's best spinners on YouTube.

Pakistan tweakers Saqlain Mushtaq and Saeed Ajmal, and England's mercurial offie Graeme Swann were among his most-viewed spinners on the internet.

Qadri met and trained with Ajmal when he was 13 after being introduced by former New Zealand international Iain O'Brien, who played alongside the youngster at Alvaston & Boulton Cricket Club in Derbyshire's club competition and was blown away by the teenager's talents to the point where he dubbed the off-spinner the 'Magician'.

Image Id: 888B9A564E7842E88A92DB7C1C41BBBC Image Caption: Hami Qadri salutes his maiden five-wicket haul as a 16yo // Supplied

Qadri mimicked Ajmal to the extent he developed the same bowling action issues that had the Pakistan champion banned in 2014, but over time his style naturally corrected and now bowls with a perfectly legal action.

Three years after meeting Ajmal, at the age of just 16, Qadri made his first-class debut with Derbyshireagainst Glamorgan in Cardiff.

He claimed 1-16 from 15 overs in Glamorgan's first innings but it was on the fourth day where he made his mark.

Opening the bowling on a spinning track, Qadri's 5-60 from 26.3 overs not only delivered Derbyshire their first County Championship win in two years but also broke the 152-year record held by England legend WG Grace as the youngest player to take a five-wicket haul on Championship debut.

Magic stuff from the Magician.

He has since gone on to represent England at Under-19 level, play eight more first-class matches – including the ongoing clash against the Australians where he finished with 0-79 from 22 overs – and play all formats for Derbyshire.

Given the success he has already tasted and the confidence he exudes at such a young age, Qadri could be forgiven for dreaming of a senior England call-up, having already played at U19 level and toured with the Lions squad.

Image Id: C7097AE1172F4B89BF2C593ED0651617 Image Caption: Qadri in action at the Under-19 level in 2017 // Getty

But he knows exactly where he stands two years after his unforgettable debut in the Welsh capital.

"I'm still learning the craft," he said. "Off-spinning is not an easy job.

"It's going to take a while, so I'll keep working hard, be around good people and take opportunities like today from Nathan Lyon to perfect my art."

So, what was it like meeting his YouTube heroes, like Ajmal and Lyon, IRL (In Real Life)?

"The one thing in common between those blokes was just that they're very nice blokes," he said.

"It was just spinners love, basically.

"Nathan was just being a normal bloke, you wouldn't have known he had taken so many Test wickets, he was just normal.

"He talked to me like he was my mate and I just loved every minute.

"Hopefully I'll have a bowl with him tomorrow morning."

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Chris Woakes.

First Test: Australia beat England by 251 runs at Edgbaston

Second Test: Match drawn at Lord's

Third Test: England defeat Australia by one wicket at Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval