Abrar Ahmed (born 11 September 1998) is a Pakistani cricketer and leg spin bowler. Ahmed was called up to the Pakistan national cricket team in December 2022 for the series against England at home. On 9 December 2022, he made his Test debut against England in the 2nd Test match of the series in Multan, where he took 7 wickets for 114 runs in England's first innings and 4 for 120 in the second for a 10-wicket haul in his maiden Test.
Early life
Born in Karachi, Ahmed is the youngest among eight siblings (five brothers and three sisters), with his brother Shahzad Khan previously playing as a fast bowler for National Bank. He is a hafiz, having memorized the entire Qur'an.[3]
He has cited his elder brother as the reason his talent was recognised early on in tape ball cricket. Ahmed describes his mother and siblings as supportive from the beginning, but his father was eventually won over too and is now also supportive of his career. Upon being asked on his father's stance in a 2023 interview, he responded that his father is "very happy now".[4]
He was then named in the Pakistan squad for the Test series in the series against New Zealand, and in the first innings of the first Test he picked up another 5 wicket haul.
Abrar Ahmed delivered a stellar performance in the second ODI against Zimbabwe on November 26, 2024, at Queens Sports Club. The debutant spinner took 4 wickets for just 33 runs, playing a pivotal role in restricting Zimbabwe to a modest total of 145 runs. His efforts helped Pakistan equalize the series 1–1 with a commanding 10-wicket victory.[15]
Injury
Abrar Ahmed endured a prolonged injury attributed to negligence in following medical instructions. Diagnosed with Sciatica during the ICC World Cup 2023, characterized by leg pain and numbness, Abrar failed to adhere to the prescribed recovery plan, worsening his condition. The injury occurred during a practice match in Australia, leading to his exclusion from the Test series. Currently undergoing rehabilitation at Lahore's National Cricket Academy, Abrar will miss Pakistan's upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, emphasizing the impact of non-compliance with medical directives on his playing career.[16]
^Raj, Pratyush (9 December 2022). "'Who is Abdul Qadir, never heard of him': Meet Abrar Ahmed, Pakistan's new mystery spinner". The Indian Express. […] another elder brother Shahzad Khan, a fast bowler, represented National Bank in the domestic circuit […] the youngest among eight siblings (five brothers and three sisters), Abrar was more close to his mother. When he turned nine, Abrar's mother asked him to do hifz (memorization of the Quran).
^Farooq, Umar (23 November 2022). "Who are Mohammad Ali and Abrar Ahmed?". Cricinfo. He speaks Pashto but is born and raised in Karachi, his family having moved to the city from the north of the country - specifically a small village called Shinkiari, located on the outskirts of Mansehra [...]
