Connect with us

Sports

Mystery bowler Abrar takes seven-for as Pakistan bowl England out at 281

Published

on

  • Abrar Ahmed spins magic in Multan Test.
  • Abrar 13th Pakistani bowler to take five or more wickets in an innings on debut.
  • Zahid Mahmood takes three wickets.

MULTAN: Pakistan debutant Abrar Ahmed mesmerised England on Friday, grabbing seven wickets as the visitors were bowled out at 281 soon after lunch on the opening day of the second Test in Multan.

The 24-year-old — nicknamed “Harry Potter” by friends because he wears glasses similar to those of the fictional boy wizard — spun magic of his own after England won the toss and decided to bat on a turning pitch.

He dismissed Zak Crawley (19), Ben Duckett (63) and Joe Root (eight) in the first two hours, before sending Ollie Pope (60) and Harry Brook (nine) on their way.

Ahmed became the 13th Pakistan bowler to take five or more wickets in an innings on debut.

  • Abrar Ahmed spins magic in Multan Test.
  • Abrar 13th Pakistani bowler to take five or more wickets in an innings on debut.
  • Zahid Mahmood takes three wickets.

MULTAN: Pakistan debutant Abrar Ahmed mesmerised England on Friday, grabbing seven wickets as the visitors were bowled out at 281 soon after lunch on the opening day of the second Test in Multan.

The 24-year-old — nicknamed “Harry Potter” by friends because he wears glasses similar to those of the fictional boy wizard — spun magic of his own after England won the toss and decided to bat on a turning pitch.

He dismissed Zak Crawley (19), Ben Duckett (63) and Joe Root (eight) in the first two hours, before sending Ollie Pope (60) and Harry Brook (nine) on their way.

Ahmed became the 13th Pakistan bowler to take five or more wickets in an innings on debut.

At the break, Ben Stokes and Will Jacks were at the crease with 14 and zero respectively after the first session was extended for Friday prayers.

It was in complete contrast to the first Test, when England smashed 174-0 by lunch on the opening day.

Despite losing wickets regularly, England scored at a brisk pace, with Duckett knocking nine boundaries and a six and Pope cracking five to the rope.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam employed spin as early as in the ninth over, and Ahmed bowled Crawley with a sharp incoming delivery with his fifth Test ball.

He then trapped Duckett and Root leg-before — both given out only after Azam reviewed the on-field calls.

Ahmed made it 167-5 when Pope and Brook miscued aggressive shots and were caught.

Pakistan, aiming to level the series after losing the first Test by 74 runs, included three spinners in the line-up after paceman Naseem Shah was ruled out with a shoulder injury.

The hosts are already without pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who misses the series following appendicitis surgery, and further injuries have forced them to make three changes.

Fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf are out, along with top-order batsman Azhar Ali.

The home side have replaced them with all-rounders Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf and uncapped spinner Abrar Ahmed.

England, on their first test tour of Pakistan since 2005, won the opening match in Rawalpindi by 74 runs.

The final test is scheduled in Karachi from Dec 17.

Teams:

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (captain), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Zahid Mahmood, Abrar Ahmed, and Mohammad Ali 

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Will Jacks, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, Mark Wood, and James Anderson

Latest News

Tickets for the Pakistan-India match were sold out in a matter of minutes.

Published

on

By

The International Cricket Council (ICC) reports that tickets for the much awaited Pakistan-India encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to take place in Dubai, were sold out in a matter of minutes.

The tremendous demand for the Pakistan-India match underscores the fierce rivalry and excitement surrounding the tournament, even though tickets for the semi-finals are currently on sale.

Pavilion-specific ticket prices ranged from 500 AED for regular pavilion tickets to 1,200 AED to 5,000 AED for premium seats. The price of the elite Grand Lounge VIP packages was 12,500 AED, or roughly PKR 500,000.

On Tuesday, tickets will also go on sale for India’s first semi-final in Dubai as well as their final two group matches. Tickets for general stands are available for purchase online  with prices for general stands starting at 125 AED.

Continue Reading

Latest News

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Today marks the start of the second phase of ticket sales.

Published

on

By

Today marks the start of the second phase of the ICC Champions Trophy ticket sale.
Tickets for the opening match of mega event between Pakistan and New Zealand already sold out in the first Phase.
Following the Online sale of Tickets Last week, Physical Tickets for the Eight-Team competition will go on sale from Today.
Tickets for Matches in Pakistan including Group Stage Fixtures and the second Semi-Final will be Available at 108 Outlets of courier Service across the Country.
The Physical Tickets will be available to fans in 26 Cities of Pakistan.

For the ten matches that will be held in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, general stand tickets will start at 1,000 Pakistan Rupees, while premium seats in various categories will start at 1,500 Pakistan Rupees.
Tickets for the India matches scheduled for February 20 and 23 and March 2 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will be made available as soon as possible.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Will the Champions Trophy 2025 miss an opening ceremony?

Published

on

By

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 may commence without the traditional opening ceremony or captains’ press conference due to a modified arrival schedule for the participating teams.

This year, the England and Australia cricket teams will arrive in Pakistan nearer to the commencement of the event.

Sources inside the International Cricket Council (ICC) have verified that teams, including England and Australia, will arrive in Pakistan following their separate tours.

England is set to complete its tour of India by February 12, but Australia will conclude their series in Sri Lanka on February 14.

Consequently, both teams have retracted from the warm-up matches, a decision aligned with prior ICC events, where tardy attendance hindered practice matches.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) indicated interest in staging an opening ceremony; but, logistical issues related to the teams’ arrival dates resulted in its postponement.

The PCB stated that although the occurrence was not officially verified, it has consistently been regarded as a potentiality.

Although the opening ceremony and press conference have been cancelled, the PCB is dedicated to organising an alternative event to commemorate the importance of hosting the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time in 29 years.

The inaugural match of the tournament, featuring Pakistan and New Zealand, is set for February 19 in Karachi.

The PCB has stated that a celebration for fans will be organized ahead of the match to highlight the excitement surrounding the event.

Continue Reading

Trending