Tag: Abrar Ahmed

DUBAI: Pakistan all-rounder Saim Ayub has reclaimed the top spot, while mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed achieved a career-best ranking in the latest ICC T20I rankings released on Wednesday.

In the ICC T20 Batting rankings, opener Sahibzada Farhan slipped two places, dropping from fifth to seventh with 715 points.

However, the biggest movement among Pakistan batters came from Saim, who made a strong jump of eight places to reach 27th, while captain Salman Ali Agha climbed 12 spots to 29th, now sitting on 589 points.

On the other hand, former skipper Babar Azam dropped three places to 34th, while Mohammad Rizwan fell six spots to 67th with 479 points.

Fakhar Zaman also slipped five places to 74th, and young pacer Hasan Nawaz moved down six positions to 90th.

Pakistan’s biggest highlight came in the ICC T20I bowling rankings, where mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed jumped to a career-best second position, now holding 748 points and closing in on India’s Varun Chakravarthy, who remains at the top.

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Spinner Mohammad Nawaz also made a major leap, climbing eight places to seventh with 672 points, strengthening Pakistan’s presence in the elite bracket of T20I bowlers.

Among other Pakistan bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi moved up five spots to 19th, while Salman Mirza slipped four places to 22nd and Sufiyan Muqeem dropped five positions to 38th.

Additional changes include Saim Ayub slipping four spots to 58th, Haris Rauf falling nine places to 66th, Shadab Khan making a sharp rise of 33 places to 72nd, while Faheem Ashraf dropped 11 spots to 87th.

In the T20I all-rounders rankings, Saim Ayub climbed back to No.1, dethroning Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, who now sits second. India’s Hardik Pandya retained the third position.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz moved up one place to fourth with 230 points, while Shadab Khan surged 13 positions to reach 26th.

Faheem Ashraf slipped six places to 46th, and skipper Salman Ali Agha rose seven spots to 54th. Shaheen Afridi, meanwhile, dropped two places to 69th.

READ: Peshawar Zalmi confirm Babar Azam’s retention price

Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed will not feature in the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 after sources clarified the circumstances behind his unexpected withdrawal from the tournament.

Abrar had been picked by Chattogram Royals for the 12th edition of the BPL, but it has now emerged that his inclusion in the auction took place without his prior approval.

According to sources, the franchise listed Abrar in the players’ auction despite not securing his consent. When contacted by the team after the auction, the spinner made it clear that he had not agreed to participate in the league.

Following the clarification, Chattogram Royals opted to move on and have since informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of the situation, replacing Abrar with an alternative signing ahead of the tournament.

The development came amid strong Pakistani interest at the BPL players’ auction held on November 30, where several emerging talents attracted notable bids.

Fast bowler Ihsanullah emerged as the most expensive Pakistani signing, with Noakhali Express securing his services for USD 28,000 in the Category C foreign players segment.

Ihsanullah has previously represented Pakistan in one ODI and four T20Is and had earlier been associated with Rangpur Riders, though he did not feature in a match for them.

Middle-order batter Haider Ali was also picked by Noakhali Express for USD 20,000.

The 23-year-old has played 37 international matches for Pakistan and brings prior BPL experience, having scored 213 runs in 13 games at an average of 26.62, including a highest score of 48 not out.

All-rounder Jahandad Khan, who made his T20I debut against Australia last November and has featured in eight T20Is so far, was acquired by Durbar Rajshahi for USD 20,000 in the same category.

These three players will join a group of five Pakistan cricketers who were directly signed before the auction.

Saim Ayub and Mohammad Amir have been roped in by Sylhet Titans, Usman Khan will represent Dhaka Capitals, Khawaja Nafay has signed with Rangpur Riders, while Sahibzada Farhan will turn out for Rajshahi Warriors.

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Pakistan’s spinner Abrar Ahmed and opening batter Saim Ayub are among the first players to be directly signed by franchises ahead of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2026 auction.

The BPL players’ auction is set for November 30, with 245 overseas players already categorised for the event.

Meanwhile, the tournament is scheduled to be played from 26 December 2025 and will conclude on 23 January 2026.

The BPL 2026 will see a reduction in teams from seven to five. Dhaka Capitals and Rangpur Riders remain, while Chattogram Royals, Rajshahi Warriors, and Sylhet Titans enter under new ownership after Chittagong Kings, Durbar Rajshahi, and Sylhet Strikers exited.

Defending champions Fortune Barishal and Khulna Tigers will not participate this season.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the participating teams but has yet to release details regarding the new ownership structures.

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Abrar Ahmed has been picked up by the newly rebranded Chattogram Royals, marking a return to the BPL for the Pakistan spinner, who played a solitary match for Comilla Victorians in the 2023 edition.

Saim Ayub, meanwhile, has joined Sylhet Titans, who have also signed England’s Moeen Ali, veteran pacer Mohammad Amir, and Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai.

Mohammad Amir, a veteran left-arm pacer, brings extensive experience, having taken 52 wickets in 36 BPL matches at an economy rate of 6.36 over four seasons.

Among other marquee pre-auction signings, Dhaka Capitals have secured England’s Alex Hales and Pakistan’s Usman Khan, while Noakhali Express have picked up Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis.

Usman Khan boasts an impressive BPL record, scoring 581 runs in 19 matches across two seasons at a strike rate of 148.97, including three fifties and two centuries.

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DUBAI: Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed and opener Sahibzada Farhan have made notable strides in the latest ICC Men’s T20I rankings after their standout performances in the Asia Cup 2025.

Farhan, currently the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 156 runs at an average of 31.20, jumped 31 spots to claim the 24th position with 589 rating points.

Fellow batters Fakhar Zaman and skipper Salman Ali Agha also moved up three places each, to 66th and 64th, respectively.

However, Pakistan’s seasoned duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who are no longer part of the T20I setup, slipped further down the charts. Babar dropped to 35th and Rizwan to 38th.

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Meanwhile, out of form Saim Ayub fell eight places to 55th, Hasan Nawaz dropped to 58th, and wicket-keeper Mohammad Haris inched down to 90th.

At the top, India’s Abhishek Sharma retained his No.1 spot, with England’s Phil Salt second and Tilak Varma overtaking Jos Buttler to move into third.

In the ICC T20I bowling rankings, Abrar Ahmed made the most significant impact, having taken five wickets in the Asia Cup 2025.

He surged 12 places to break into the top five for the first time. He now sits fourth with 703 points, closing in on a potential top-three finish.

Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf also gained ground, climbing to 25th and 28th, respectively. In contrast, Sufiyan Muqeem slipped to 14th, Abbas Afridi dropped to 44th, while Mohammad Nawaz fell to 46th.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

India’s Varun Chakaravarthy continues to lead the T20I bowling charts, followed by New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy and West Indies’ Akeal Hosein.

In the all-rounders’ list, Saim Ayub maintained fifth place with 201 points. Mohammad Nawaz rose to 17th, while Faheem Ashraf jumped 12 places to 39th.

Shaheen Afridi and Salman Ali Agha also made double-digit gains, both tying for 71st. Shadab Khan, however, slipped five places to 35th.

India’s Hardik Pandya remains the top-ranked T20I all-rounder, with Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi second and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza third.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan joins Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan in elite list

Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga have won hearts worldwide after sharing a heartwarming display of mutual respect following the Men in Green’s Super Four victory over the Islanders in the Asia Cup 2025.

Pakistan achieved a five-wicket victory at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday, moving up to second place on the points table.

However, both Hasaranga and Ahmed had some tense moments on the field when the duo mimicked each other’s celebrations after taking wickets.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

Abrar Ahmed did the celebration first when he bowled Wanindu Hasaranga, while the Sri Lankan spinner returned the favor twice.

He imitated Abrar’s celebration after taking a stunning catch to dismiss Fakhar Zaman off Maheesh Theekshana’s bowling.

In the subsequent over, he clean-bowled Saim Ayub and celebrated like Abrar once again while looking towards Pakistan’s dugout.

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The Green Shirts managed to overcome an early collapse, thanks to the efforts of Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz, who led the team to victory.

After the match, Hasaranga and Abrar did not let their previous tensions affect them; instead, they demonstrated sportsmanship.

A video that surfaced on social media shows the two exchanging handshakes after the game. They hugged each other and shared a laugh about the events on the field, ultimately deciding to bury the hatchet.

Just loved this.. friendly banter during the game, at the end of the game, they are brothers. incredible Sportsmanship.. lot to learn from this for all cricketers. #PAKVSL #AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/iOCiTToXm5

— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) September 23, 2025

Lovely moment between Hasaranga and Abrar.

This is what you call banter and sportsmanship. All fun on the field and friends off it. pic.twitter.com/30cTNYxeBx

— yang goi (@GongR1ght) September 23, 2025

See that moment between Abrar and Hasaranga? Copying each other’s celebrations as playful on-field banter, then laughing and hugging it out in the end. That’s the beauty of this sport. That’s true sportsmanship. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nWVzaUidAu

— Brashna Kasi (@Brashnaa) September 23, 2025

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DUBAI: Pakistan top-order batter Saim Ayub continued his rise in the latest ICC Men’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings on Wednesday.

The recent rankings update saw Pakistan players suffering a decline in the charts, owing to the crushing defeat in the high-octane Asia Cup 2025 clash against arch-rivals India.

In the batting rankings, discarded batter Babar Azam remained Pakistan’s highest-ranked player despite dropping two places to 26th with 580 rating points.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan, who is also out of the side, is the second-best from the country, occupying 33rd spot.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

Saim Ayub, who registered back-to-back ducks in the Asia Cup 2025, slipped to 46th place after dropping five spots, followed by Hasan Nawaz at 47th.

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha dropped ten spots, slipping to 67th, and senior batter Fakhar Zaman slipped one place to 69th.

Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 40 off 44 against India, is the only Pakistan batter to make some gains as he jumped 18 places to 56th.

On the bowling front, spinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed made significant progress, moving up to the 11th and 16th spots, respectively.

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Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi fell five places to 27th, while all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz dropped to the 33rd spot.

Fast bowler Haris Rauf, who has yet to play in the Asia Cup 2025, also dropped two spots to 37th place.

Meanwhile, Saim Ayub, having taken five wickets in the tournament so far, jumped four places to reach 6th spot in the ICC T20I All-Rounder Rankings.

He was Pakistan’s only wicket-taker in the match against India, returning with figures of 3-35.

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Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his excitement over the prospect of Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed going up against India’s batting line-up in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 clash.

The two arch-rivals meet on September 14 in Dubai in what promises to be the most anticipated fixture of the tournament.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin praised Abrar’s skillset but cautioned that he will face a major test against India’s in-form batters.

“I am definitely looking forward to the contest between Abrar Ahmed and our Indian team,” he said.

“In modern-day cricket, it’s difficult to bowl as slowly as he does, but recently, Abrar produced a match-winning performance by picking up four wickets against the UAE. He bowls googlies, carrom balls, and other variations.

“Still, he must find a way to succeed against India.

“Another challenge is that Pakistani players don’t get the opportunity to play against Indians, as they are not part of the IPL. For Abrar, this will be a learning curve, but he has all the tools required.”

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Ravichandran Ashwin also highlighted Sahibzada Farhan’s fearless approach at the top of the order, likening him to India’s Abhishek Sharma.

“Pakistan has exceptional talent. One such player is Sahibzada Farhan, who plays in a style similar to Abhishek Sharma, attacking bowlers right from the start,” he noted.

“With Mike Hesson now in charge and Salman Ali Agha leading as captain, Pakistan is clearly trying to embrace a more explosive brand of cricket.”

He pointed out that the side’s new model leans heavily on aggressive batters such as Fakhar Zaman, Haris, and Saim Ayub.

“Personally, I believe Fakhar is the best batter in the Pakistan side. Then there’s Saim Ayub, who also contributes with the ball,” he added.

“But the team often collapses after strong starts, sometimes finding themselves 80 for 5 before scrambling to 140. To really challenge India, you need at least 180.”

Looking at the bigger picture, the veteran off-spinner was blunt about India’s prospects.

“The best-case scenario for any team is to bowl first and restrict India to a modest score. But honestly, I don’t think any side really stands a chance against India in this Asia Cup,” he concluded.

READ: India rewrite record books with crushing victory over UAE

SHARJAH: Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed etched his name into the record books with a sensational spell against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the T20I tri-series on Thursday.

Featuring in his first match of the series, the 26-year-old made an instant impact, returning remarkable figures of 4 for 9 in four overs – the fourth-best figures recorded by a Pakistan spinner in T20Is.

Abrar struck in his second over by removing UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem (19), before tightening the screws in his third over with back-to-back scalps of Asif Khan (7) and Rahul Chopra, who fell for a two-ball duck.

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He then rounded off a memorable outing by dismissing Harshit Kaushik (3) with the final ball of his spell.

With this performance, Abrar joins an elite list of Pakistan spinners in T20 internationals.

Sufiyan Muqeem holds the top spot with 5 for 3 against Zimbabwe in 2024, followed by Imad Wasim’s 5 for 14 against West Indies in 2016, and Shadab Khan’s 4 for 8 against Hong Kong in 2022.

Best bowling figures by a Pakistan spinner in T20Is:

• Sufiyan Muqeem: 5/3 against Zimbabwe in 2024

• Imad Wasim: 5/14 against West Indies in 2016

• Shadab Khan: 4/8 against Hong Kong in 2022

• Abrar Ahmed: 4/9 against UAE in 2025

Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Abrar revealed he had studied the conditions and opposition closely before stepping onto the field.

“I was watching the earlier matches and looking at the pitch conditions, so I bowled accordingly. This time I also sat with Talha bhai to analyse each batter, especially Waseem bhai,” Abrar said.

“There’s always a bit of extra pressure, but the captain trusts me to be ready at any stage, and that belief gives me confidence,” he added.

Pakistan, having won three out of their four group-stage matches, have booked a place in the tri-series final where they will face Afghanistan on Sunday, September 7, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

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SHARJAH: Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed opened up after winning the player of the match award for his impressive bowling performance against the UAE in the fifth fixture of the tri-series here at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Pakistan defeated UAE in the fifth fixture of the T20I tri-series, sealing a final berth here on Thursday at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

In pursuit of a 172-run target, UAE fell short by 31 runs and could only muster 140-7 in their 20 overs.

For Pakistan, Abrar Ahmed starred with the ball, taking four wickets in his four-over spell and giving away just nine runs.

The right-arm leg break bowler took crucial wickets of Muhammad Waseem, Asif Khan, Rahul Chopra, and Harshit Kaushik to put Pakistan on top.

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Sharing his thoughts after the match, Abrar Ahmed said that he examined the conditions while watching the earlier matches.

“I was watching the earlier matches and looking at the pitch conditions, so I bowled accordingly.  I hadn’t analysed the batters much before but this time I sat down with Talha and observed each batter especially Waseem bhai,” he remarked.

Abrar emphasized pitch conditions, noting that Salman Ali Agha expressed confidence in him to deliver.

“I try to bowl based on the pitch. Yes, there is a bit of extra pressure, but the captain told me to be ready at any stage. He has a lot of belief in me, so I’m always ready to step in,” said Abrar Ahmed.

For context, Pakistan defeated Afghanistan and UAE twice to reach the tri-series final. The Men in Green will now face Afghanistan on Sunday, September 7 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

READ: Salman Ali Agha hails ‘match-winner’ Fakhar, Abrar after victory over UAE

DUBAI: Middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz on Monday shared his thoughts on Pakistan’s preparations ahead of the tri-series and the much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025.

Hasan Nawaz, alongside mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, candidly commented on the team’s preparation following the video released on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) social media handle.

The right-handed batter played a crucial role in taking Agha XI over the line against Saim XI in the intra-squad practice match held here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Hasan Nawaz, alongside mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, candidly commented on the team’s preparation following the video released on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) social media handle.

During the conversation, both players shed light on the outcome of the practice match, with Abrar praising Nawaz and wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Haris for their knocks.

In reply, Nawaz highlighted the performances of Abrar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman.

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“In the match, the catch you took and the way you bowled were outstanding, and we restricted them to a low total,” Nawaz told Abrar.

“The players are in [good] form, Fakhar played very well. So, by the will of Almighty Allah, everyone’s and my strive is to continue this form for the tri-series and Asia Cup,” he remarked.

For context, Pakistan is set to play Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the tri-series, taking place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7.

Following the series, the eight-team ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 will commence from September 9 in the UAE.

The continental tournament is set to take place across two venues, Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, in the UAE from September 9 to 28.

Pakistan will play their opening match on September 12 against Oman before squaring off against India in the much-anticipated encounter, scheduled for September 14.

Pakistan Squad for Tri-Series and Asia Cup 2025 

Pakistan: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem

READ: Final squads announced for ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025