Qadir keen to make his mark in Australia

Pakistani leg-spinner Usman Qadir, the son of Test legend Abdul, has reaffirmed his desire to represent Australia at the next T20 World Cup.

The 25-year-old has turned his back on Pakistan due to a lack of opportunity and, having moved to Australia in 2016, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Fawad Ahmed and become eligible to represent his adopted country at the highest level.

Qadir impressed in taking 3-50 on his one-day debut for Western Australia on Wednesday and has now set his sights on playing first-class cricket for the Warriors this season.

But his ultimate goal is to play internationally and says he's "100 per cent" committed to representing Australia.

"No more Pakistan; I want to play for Australia, definitely," Qadir said after WA's six-wicket thumping of Victoria at Junction Oval.

"I didn't get any chances in Pakistan to play.

"There's politics. They make their own decisions ... I don't like that. I was performing well there as well ... and I didn't get any chances to play.

"I got upset ... and I don't want to play in Pakistan anymore so I moved here."

And he says his move away from home has the blessing of his famous father, who took more than 350 international wickets for Pakistan in a decorated 13-year career.

"He says to feel free to do what you want to do," Qadir said.

"He said he's with me and he'll support me in whatever I want to do."

Qadir's affiliation with Australia began six years ago when he represented Pakistan at the Under-19 World Cup in Queensland and did enough to convince former Victoria gloveman Darren Berry, then coach of South Australia, to give him a chance with the Redbacks' second XI.

His involvement in a minor car accident during that trip led him to return to Pakistan but, when opportunities in his homeland started to dry up, he moved to Sydney in 2016 and signed on the play with Premier Cricket club Hawkesbury.

He was then given a chance as a net bowler with the Perth Scorchers during the Big Bash League under the watch of Justin Langer – then Scorchers coach – and skipper Adam Voges, who has since taken over as WA and Scorchers boss following Langer's appointment to the national team.

And Qadir so impressed the hierarchy in the west that he signed a deal with the Scorchers earlier this month and, having taken a seven-wicket haul in a recent one-day practice match, was added to WA's JLT Cup squad this week.

New teammate Marcus Stoinis said Qadir's variations, including a sharp-turning googly, had even the Warriors players scratching their heads.

"I haven't faced him in the nets yet but there were a couple of balls (today) that I thought were leggies and were wrong'uns," he said with a laugh. "I'm not picking him from cover or mid-wicket.

"I think it's very good for state cricket to have someone of his calibre in and playing."

Ahmed, who claimed asylum in Australia in 2010 having fled Pakistan, played five matches for his adopted country in 2013 after officials helped to fast track his citizenship application. The 36-year-old was ironically an interested onlooker at Junction Oval on Wednesday as Qadir helped the Warriors dismiss a star-studded Victorian batting line-up for just 200.

Qadir is currently living in Australia on a Temporary Activity Visa and his hoping to soon gain a Distinguished Talent visa - which would allow him to live in Australia permanently - with the view to him gaining his citizenship by 2020.