Mohammad Abbas Archives

Mohammad Abbas joins Derbyshire on two-year deal

Pakistan Test pacer Mohammad Abbas has agreed a two-year deal with Derbyshire, signing on as one of the county’s overseas players for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

Abbas arrives at Derbyshire with a formidable reputation in English red-ball cricket, having previously represented Leicestershire, Hampshire and most recently Nottinghamshire.

The experienced seamer played a pivotal role in Nottinghamshire’s County Championship triumph last summer, claiming 32 first-class wickets in nine matches at an impressive average of 21.46.

The move will see Abbas reunite with Mickey Arthur, who handed him his Test debut for Pakistan and is now leading Derbyshire’s ambitions from the dugout.

Arthur believes the addition of Abbas could be a defining moment in the club’s push for promotion.

“This is a statement signing for us,” Arthur said. “We’ve beaten a number of Division One counties to sign one of the finest red-ball bowlers around, and we’re absolutely delighted to have Mohammad on board for 2026 and 2027.”

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“He’s an exceptional bowler who bowls maidens, builds pressure and takes wickets at a really impressive average. Beyond his skill, his experience will be invaluable for our young players to learn from.”

Since first arriving in 2018, Mohammad Abbas has taken 291 County Championship wickets at a remarkable average of 19.89, establishing himself as one of the most reliable overseas bowlers on the circuit.

His most recent Test appearance for Pakistan came earlier this year, in January.

Expressing his excitement at the move, Abbas said the opportunity to work with Arthur again played a major role in his decision.

“It’s exciting for me to join Derbyshire and work with Mickey Arthur again,” Abbas said. “He’s a fantastic coach, and after hearing his plans for the club, it’s clear we share the same ambition, to be in Division One.

“The team only just missed out on promotion in 2025, so I’m hoping I can contribute with performances that help win a few more games and give our supporters a trophy to celebrate.”

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Mohammad Abbas joins elite club with five-wicket haul in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Test seamer Mohammad Abbas continued his rich vein of form in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26, bagging another five-wicket haul for Lahore Region Whites against Multan Region on Friday.

Opting to bowl first, Abbas struck early with the new ball, removing Multan captain Zain Abbas for a duck and opener Waqar Hussain for just one, leaving the visitors reeling at 3-2.

His relentless accuracy never allowed the opposition to settle, and Multan were bundled out for 164 in 43.4 overs. Abbas finished with superb figures of 5-32 from 15.4 overs, dismissing Kashif Ali (1) to complete his five-for.

Aamir Jamal provided solid support with 3-58, while Arafat Minhas offered a late counterattack for Multan with a 51-ball 45.

This performance marked Abbas’s second consecutive five-wicket haul, coming just three days after his 6-78 against Karachi Blues, a spell that had brought up his 50th career five-for in First-Class cricket.

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At 35, Abbas continues to dominate the domestic circuit, standing as the joint-second-highest wicket-taker of the season with 18 wickets at an average of 20.94 and an economy rate of 2.79.

Only Sialkot’s Athar Mahmood (19 wickets at 16.42) is ahead of him.

With this latest feat, Abbas has now taken 825 wickets in 205 First-Class matches at an exceptional average of 20.66.

He also entered rare company, becoming just the third fast bowler in the 21st century to claim 50 or more five-wicket hauls in First-Class cricket, joining Abdur Rauf (57) and England’s James Anderson (55).

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Mohammad Abbas joins elite list of legends with 800 First-class wickets

NOTTINGHAM: Veteran Pacer Mohammad Abbas on Tuesday etched his name into the history books, becoming only the fifth Pakistan pacer to take 800 first-class wickets.

Abbas, who is the fifth pacer from Pakistan after Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Sarfaraz Nawaz, achieved the milestone during the 55th fixture of the County Championship Division One.

Mohammad Abbas, representing Nottinghamshire, achieved the feat in his 198th first-class match.

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While representing Nottinghamshire against Somerset, Mohammad Abbas scalped three wickets in the first innings of the four-day game. He removed the opening three batters of the opposing team, joining an elusive list.

The 35-year-old has been in impressive form with the ball, taking 25 wickets in seven matches so far at an average of 22.04.

Most First-Class Wickets By Pakistan Pacers

Imran Khan 1287 wickets in 382 matches

Wasim Akram 1042 wickets in 257 matches

Sarfaraz Nawaz 956 wickets in 299 matches

Waqar Younis 800 wickets in 228 matches

Mohammad Abbas* 800 wickets in 198 matches

The right-arm pacer has represented Pakistan in 27 Tests from 2017 to 2025, taking 100 wickets at a brilliant average of 23.18.

Mohammad Abbas returned to the Pakistan Test squad in the series against South Africa earlier this year after a four-year absence.

He was recalled on the back of an outstanding Quaid-e-Azam Trophy campaign, during which he claimed 31 wickets in five matches.

READ: Saeed Ajmal bags six as Pakistan crushes Australia in WCL 2025

WATCH: Mohammad Abbas, Ishan Kishan win hearts in County Championship

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas and India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan shared a heartwarming moment during Nottinghamshire’s County Championship clash against Yorkshire, drawing widespread admiration from fans across both countries.

The duo, currently playing together for Nottinghamshire, celebrated a wicket with a handshake and hug, a rare sight considering the long-standing on-field rivalry between Indian and Pakistani cricketers.

The moment came on the second day of the match when Abbas dismissed Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth for a duck.

The left-hander edged a delivery from Mohammad Abbas, which was safely pouched by Ishan Kishan behind the stumps.

The two cricketers then came together for a brief but emotional celebration, which was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media.

Nottinghamshire’s official social media handles shared the clip, which was widely praised by fans and cricket followers from both sides of the border.

“This is the true beauty of county cricket. I love and admire this game for moments like these,” commented a fan, Khawaja Naeem Akbar.

Another user wrote that seeing Abbas and Kishan playing together increased their respect for both players, while others described the moment as “special” and “beautiful.”

Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan impressed with the bat in Nottinghamshire’s first innings, scoring a fluent 87 off 98 deliveries, including one six and 12 fours.

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Mohammad Abbas, on the other hand, bowled an economical spell, finishing with figures of 1 for 19 from 10 overs, including four maidens.

It’s worth noting that more India-Pakistan pairings are expected later in the County Championship season, with India’s Ruturaj Gaikwad set to join Yorkshire in July.

Meanwhile, Pakistan batter Abdullah Shafique has also signed with the same franchise and is expected to feature in the tournament once his visa issues are resolved.

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Mohammad Abbas recalls incident that left Manchester City manager without hotel room

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas has shared an interesting story from his time at Hampshire, revealing how Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was denied a hotel room.

Abbas, who had been playing for Hampshire County Cricket Club, was released last winter after impressive performances over four seasons. During those seasons, he took 180 wickets at an outstanding average of 19.26.

The 35-year-old is currently playing for Nottinghamshire in the ongoing County Cricket Championship.

In an interview with a British news outlet, Mohammad Abbas revealed the story of the Manchester Manager requesting his room.

“I didn’t know about it at the time, but our head coach told me the next morning that he had wanted my room,” Abbas said.

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“The Hilton emailed the Hampshire management to ask if it was possible, but they were told no, I would be spending six months there. So that was what happened,” he added.

The right-arm pacer also shed light on Hampshire’s decision to release him, emphasizing that the club’s new Indian owners did not have an issue with a Pakistani cricketer.

“No, that’s not why. James Vince had stopped playing four-day cricket, and they said they needed a batter for an overseas player; so a bit of a restructure.

“We had good communication around it, and they are good people. Still, they are messaging me, and I am messaging them. They are fantastic, he explained.”

For the unversed, Mohammad Abbas made his debut for Pakistan in 2017. He has played 27 Test matches until now, claiming 100 wickets at an impressive average of 23.18.

Abbas was recalled to the Pakistan team after a three-year gap during the tour of South Africa last December; however, three weeks later, he was not included in the home series against the West Indies.

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Shan Masood opens up on Mohammad Abbas’ exclusion from Test squad

MULTAN: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood explained the reasons behind the exclusion of veteran pace bowler Mohammad Abbas from the squad for the two-match series against West Indies here on Thursday.

Mohammad Abbas returned to international cricket after a three-year hiatus during the Test series against South Africa in December 2024. He took ten wickets in two games, including a six-wicket in the first Test.

However, he was excluded from the team for the home Test series against West Indies, which is scheduled to commence tomorrow.

Shan Masood, during the pre-match press conference, revealed that the decision to drop Abbas was made considering the conditions in Multan.

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“Your squad is never just 15 players; your roster is usually made up of 20 players. If you look at the squad we announced for the camp before the Australia tour, which was my first assignment, you will see that there have been a few additions since then,” Masood explained.

“Abbas was part of the squad because we felt that the conditions in South Africa would suit him, making him the number one bowler for the Pakistan team,” he added.

“Now, the conditions have changed here and we need to consider the number of players in the squad. We need to see what type of fast bowler we need,” the Pakistan captain concluded.

Notably, Pakistan and West Indies will square off in the first Test from January 17 to January 21 in Multan, while the second match will commence on January 25 at the same venue.

Pakistan squad for the West Indies Tests

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, and Salman Ali Agha.

READ: Nasser Hussain names THIS Pakistan batter as future ‘Fab Four’ contender

Mohammad Abbas achieves historic feat after heroics in first South Africa Test

CENTURION: Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas achieved a historic milestone with his brilliant spell in the second innings of the first Test against South Africa here on Sunday.

Abbas, who was playing an international match after nearly three years, returned with bowling figures of 6-54, which earned him a place in the history books. His bowling figures are the best by a Pakistan bowler against South Africa.

The record was previously held by leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, who took 6-78 in Durban back in 1998.

Best Test Bowling Figures by a Pakistan Bowler vs South Africa

Mohammad Abbas – Centurion, 2024: 6/54

Mushtaq Ahmed – Durban, 1998: 6/78

Waqar Younis – Gqeberha, 1998: 6/78

Saeed Ajmal – Cape Town, 2013: 6/96

Tanveer Ahmed – Abu Dhabi, 2010: 6/120

Abbas waged a lone war against South Africa while defending a modest target of 148. His brilliance left South Africa reeling at 99/8.

However, Kagiso Rabada (31*) and Marco Jansen (16*) constructed a gutsy 51-run stand to steer South Africa to a thrilling two-wicket victory.

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With this impressive victory, South Africa ascended to the pinnacle of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 points table, boasting a remarkable points percentage of 66.67%.

This triumph not only highlighted their exceptional skills and consistency in the game but also guaranteed their spot in the WTC final.

The second and final Test match between Pakistan and South Africa is scheduled to be played in Cape Town from January 3-7, 2025.

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South Africa edge past spirited Pakistan to claim a thrilling victory

CENTURION: Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas’ heroics went in vain as South Africa held on to their nerves to claim a thrilling two-wicket victory on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test here on Sunday.

Kagiso Rabada (31*) and Marco Jansen (16*) steered South Africa to victory with a gutsy 51-run stand after Abbas’ fiery spell.

Abbas, who was playing an international match after three years, returned with bowling figures of 6-54, while Khurram Shahzad and Naseem Shah bagged one wicket each.

South Africa were in a precarious position at Lunch with the scoreboard reading 116-8, needing 32 runs to win. Kagiso Rabada (10*) and Marco Jansen (58) were on the crease.

The home side started the day on 27-3 while chasing a modest 148, however, they could add 35 more runs before Abbas broke halted their momentum.

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Abbas castled Aiden Markram, who played a patient knock of 27 runs from 63 deliveries with the help of six boundaries.

The veteran pacer then removed the South African captain Temba Bavuma to instigate a dramatic collapse. Bavuma returned after a cautious 40-run knock, which featured four fours and a six.

Naseem Shah dismissed wicketkeeper batter Kyle Verreynne (2) in the next over before Abbas took two back-to back wickets to leave South Africa at 99/8.

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Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada then joined hands and forged a crucial 17-run partnership, ensuring no further damage until Lunch.

Pakistan Playing XI: Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas.

South Africa Playing XI: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, Corbin Bosch.

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Mohammad Abbas returns as Pakistan unveil squads for South Africa tour

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the red-ball and white-ball squads for the upcoming tour of South Africa, including veteran pacer Mohammad Abbas, who has been out of the team since 2021.

Pakistan is scheduled to tour South Africa from 10 December to 7 January to play three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.

Babar Azam has been named in all three squads along with Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, while Naseem Shah has been selected for the Tests and ODIs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also missed the last two Tests against England, has been picked for the white-ball matches as part of his workload management so that he is in his best fitness and form for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Mohammad Abbas, who last played in Jamaica in August 2021, has been recalled to the Test squad.

Abbas has taken 90 wickets in 25 Tests for Pakistan. He was recalled on the back of a stellar Quaid-e-Azam Trophy campaign, where he has claimed 31 wickets in five matches.

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Naseem Shah has also been named in the four-man pace attack after missing the last two Tests against England. The 21-year-old, who has played 19 Tests since making his debut in November 2019, has taken four wickets to date for Lahore Whites against Peshawar in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in Abbottabad.

Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad has also been named in the Test squad for the South Africa tour after claiming 15 wickets for Pakistan Shaheens against Sri Lanka ‘A’ last month. Mir Hamza is the fourth fast bowler in the 15-man Test squad and is presently playing for Peshawar against Lahore Whites in Abbottabad.

However, off-spinner Sajid Khan has missed out on selection despite his 19 wickets against England.

The selectors, after taking into consideration the Centurion and Newlands conditions as well as South Africa as the opposition, have opted for only one specialist spinner in Noman Ali, who took 20 wickets against England and has 67 wickets in 17 Tests.

Also earning the selectors’ nod for the first time in ODIs is Sufyan Muqeem, the left-arm wrist spinner who has taken eight wickets in two T20Is, including five wickets for three runs in the second T20I.

Pakistan T20I squad will depart for South Africa on Friday, 6 December, after Thursday’s third T20I against Zimbabwe, while the ODI and Test players will depart for Johannesburg on 13 December.

Pakistan men’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will also arrive in Johannesburg on 13 December to supervise the pre-Test series camp.

Pakistan squads for South Africa tour

Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha

ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)

T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)

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Mohammad Abbas offers valuable advice to Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah

Test pacer Mohammad Abbas has offered a piece of advice for Pakistan’s all-format fast bowling duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

During an interview with a local sports website, Abbas emphasised the importance of maintaining fitness for pace bowlers to keep performing at the highest level.

“Naseem Shah has gotten injured, Khurram [Shahzad] has also gotten injured, and Shaheen Afridi is dealing with some issues as well,” Abbas said.

“They need to work a bit on their fitness, and I’m doing the same. We also need to work a little on biomechanics at the National Cricket Academy,” he added.

Abbas further highlighted the tough nature of Test cricket, where a bowler has to bowl the whole day, unlike white-ball cricket. He suggested Pakistan’s pace bowler play more first-class cricket, which will help improve their overall performance across formats.

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“In Test cricket, you have to endure tough times — fielding all day, bowling all day — it’s not easy at all,” Abbas stressed.

“But, as I mentioned earlier, we need to respect four-day cricket and provide proper support for it. As professional fast bowlers, we’ll need to bowl long spells,” he concluded.

Notably, Mohammad Abbas recently achieved a major milestone in first-class cricket with his 700th wicket in the format.

The 34-year-old pacer, who is currently representing Hampshire, claimed the prestigious feat in the second innings of the County Championship match against Kent.

He trapped Kent’s Jack Leaning plumb in front of the wicket to complete 700 wickets in first-class cricket.

Abbas became the 14th player from Pakistan to reach this milestone.

READ: Babar Azam achieves major milestone with Champions Cup century