Owais Shah is a Pakistani-born former British cricketer. He was born in Karachi on October 22, 1978. He batted right-handed and bowled right-handed off break.
He guided England to success in the 1998 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which was one of his impressive successes before making his senior national English team debut.
Background
Owais Shah had outstanding cricketing skills as a child, and he made his club cricket debut at the age of 12 for Wycombe House Club. He was a standout performer in the games and received several trophies, earning him a place in the Middlesex Cricket team at the age of 17.
He won the 1997 NBC Denis Compton Award after just one season, making him the country’s most talented young footballer. Shah was named captain of the Under-19 team for the 1998 World Cup, and he took home the trophy.
Debut
In the Natwest Tri Series in 2001, Shah made his international debut against Australia. In Australia’s victory, he scored 28 unanswered runs. However, his success earned him a place in the playing squad, and he scored fifty in the next match.
He made his Test debut against India five years back, scoring 88 runs in the first innings and 38 runs in the second. His test career, though, was cut short after just six games.
Rise to Glory
Shah was cut from the squad in 2002 because he lacked fielding ability. In 2006, he improved and was recalled to the national team. He was a standout in the first T20 match, reaching a fifty, but England was defeated again.
He began averaging more than 30 points in all of his matches, with half-centuries thrown in on occasion. In 2007, he hit a century against India, which he followed up with a half-century later in the series.
He scored 98 against South Africa in 2009 before retirement from international cricket.
Low Points
Shah’s underperformance was largely attributed to minor injuries. He had cramps on occasion, and although he played well, his team would lose.
His poor morale was mirrored in his appearance as a result of this. He was dropped after 2009 and hasn’t been seen again.
Club Career
Shah played for a host of clubs including Middlesex, Essex, Cape Cobras, and others, despite his lacklustre international career. He played for the Delhi Daredevils, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. After being cut from the England side, he played much of his club cricket.
Retirement
In 2013, Shah announced his retirement from first class, and in 2016 he announced his retirement from all other formats. Later that year, he was named as the coach of the UAE cricket team, a role he held for a year.