PAK vs ENG: Abrar equals Zahid’s record on dream Test debut

Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed had a dream debut in the second Test against England in Multan after registering match figures of 11-234.

These are the best match figures for a Pakistani spinner on Test debut and the second-best overall after Mohammad Zahid — who bagged 11-130 against New Zealand in 1996.

When Abrar Ahmed took five wickets with his beguiling spin in a club match in Pakistan´s port city of Karachi, the then-15-year-old demanded his friends start calling him "superstar".

Nine years later, he has lived up to that self-billing, taking an impressive 7-114 in the first innings on his Test debut as Pakistan dismissed England for 281 in their first innings in Multan on Friday.

He backed up his impressive bowling in the first innings by adding four more to his tally in the second.

Now nicknamed "Harry Potter" by friends because he wears glasses similar to those of the fictional boy wizard, Ahmed produced magic of his own on a turning pitch.

"His passion for the game, the hard work he puts into bowling, and the thirst for taking wickets... it was just a matter of time before he made his mark at the international level," his brother Amjad told AFP by phone from Karachi.

Ahmed came into the spotlight in the 2019-20 domestic season, grabbing 57 wickets in the Grade-II tournament, including eight five-wicket hauls.

He earned his international call-up this year with 43 wickets in Pakistan´s premier first-class tournament.

"I can´t describe my feelings in words," he said at the end of the day.

"People do call me Harry Potter, but I am not a magician. I have done what is my job, and that is taking wickets."

He is the youngest of five brothers and three sisters, and comes from humble beginnings.

His father, a small-time transport operator in Karachi, wanted him to study religion, but Ahmed would escape to play tape-ball cricket in the neighbourhood.

There he was spotted by Masroor Ahmed, a successful coach with an eye for young talent, who took him under his wing.

"To make his father happy, he learned the Koran by heart, but also convinced him that he has a future in cricket," Masroor said.

— Additional input from AFP.