Tag: Sufiyan Muqeem

Derbyshire have roped in Pakistan spinner Sufiyan Muqeem for the 2026 T20 Blast campaign. 

The 26-year-old Muqeem will play the first half of the season — six matches before Afghanistan spin AM Ghazanfar replaces him.

Sufiyan has taken 27 wickets in T20Is and eight in ODIs across 23 international appearances for Pakistan.

Following the signing, Derbyshire head of cricket Mickey Arthur expressed his views and revealed the reason behind the signing of two spinners.

“Signing overseas players with so many tournaments overlapping can be difficult, so we’ve done well to sign two current international spinners to ensure we have balance in our squad through the whole campaign,” he said.

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Arthur called Muqeem a ‘gem’ and praise AM Ghazanfar exposure around the globe.

“Sufiyan is a rising star in T20 cricket, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him before. I’ve seen his skill and resilience under pressure firsthand,” Arthur added.

 

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Meanwhile, Sufiyan expressed his excited on joining Derbyshire and working with Mickey Arthur again.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Falcons and working with Mickey again. He’s a fantastic coach, and I can’t wait to experience playing cricket in England,” Muqeem said.

For those unaware, the 18 team tournament will be played from 22 May to 18 July.

The teams have been divided into three groups of six and each county will play 12 matches, six at home and six away.

Derbyshire will play their opening T20 Blast game at home to Durham on 22 May.

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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 off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted several Pakistan players who could change the course of the match against India, particularly mentioning Sufiyan Muqeem as a potential hero in the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 clash.

Sharing his views regarding the blockbuster clash on his  YouTube channel, Ashwin expressed his excitement to watch Pakistan batters Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub.

“From Pakistan’s side, the two players I’m most excited to watch are Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub. I want to see how they handle the Indian bowling attack. If both of them bat well, then Pakistan will have a decent chance,” Ashwin said.

The 38-year-old heaped praise on left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem as a game-changer for Pakistan, highlighting his potential.

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“As for an hero from Pakistan, it could be Sufiyan Muqeem. He didn’t bowl that well in the last game and he’s a bit inconsistent, which makes things tricky in T20 cricket. But I’m curious to see how Pakistan grooms him and how he approaches the game, so I’ll be watching closely to see how he performs,” he said.

For context, Pakistan and India are set to face each other for the first time since the escalated tensions in May.

India and Pakistan have both started their Asia Cup 2025 in a dominant way, with the former beating UAE by a hefty margin of nine wickets, whereas the latter crushed Oman by 93 runs to set up an intriguing showdown between them.

Pakistan squad: 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.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

READ: Pakistan players to watch out in Asia Cup 2025 clash against India

DUBAI: Pakistan spinner Sufiyan Muqeem has made significant strides in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Rankings, emerging as the country’s highest-ranked bowler.

The left-arm wrist spinner jumped 11 spots to claim 22nd position with 594 rating points.

Shaheen Afridi also enjoyed a boost, climbing eight places to 26th. In contrast, Haris Rauf slipped four spots to 28th, while Abbas Afridi dropped to 33rd.

Mohammad Nawaz recorded one of the biggest improvements, moving up 15 places to 43rd, while Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan fell to 66th and 81st, respectively.

New Zealand pacer Matt Henry retains the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s T20I Bowling Rankings, with England’s Adil Rashid second and West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein third.

Among batters, young middle-order player Hasan Nawaz rose two places to 31st with 580 points.

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Captain Salman Ali Agha registered the most notable jump, climbing 18 spots to 59th, while Fakhar Zaman, despite a lean patch, edged up two places to 77th.

Senior duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who are currently out of Pakistan’s T20I setup, slipped to 21st and 22nd.

Saim Ayub dropped to 40th, and opener Sahibzada Farhan slid four places to 67th.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz climbed to 18th, and Ibrahim Zadran surged to 20th.

At the top of the batting charts, India’s Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma continue to occupy the first two spots, followed by England’s Phil Salt in third.

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MIRPUR: Pakistan team management is likely to make one change to their Playing XI for the second T20I against Bangladesh, scheduled to be played later today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Reports indicate that left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem may be added to the lineup, potentially replacing either all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz or mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed.

The rest of the team is expected to remain unchanged, despite a poor batting performance in the first T20I, where Pakistan was dismissed for only 110 runs.

This marked the first occasion that Bangladesh had bowled out Pakistan in the shorter format of the game.

Bangladesh successfully chased down the modest target in just 15.3 overs, losing three wickets in the process.

The hosts did not get the desired start to their chase as debutant Salman Mirza struck twice in his opening spell to leave them reeling at 7-2 in 2.2 overs.

However, Parvez Hossain Emon and Towhid Hridoy stitched a crucial 73-run stand for the third wicket to put the team in the commanding position.

Hridoy was ultimately dismissed by Abbas Afridi after scoring 36 runs off 37 balls, with the scoreboard reading 80-3 in 12.3 overs.

Emon, on the other end, remained unfazed and took his team across the line with an unbeaten 56.

Pakistan likely XI for second Bangladesh T20I

Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (c), Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Nawaz/Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem

READ: Major blow for Pakistan Shaheens as key player ruled out of England tour

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to announce the national squad for the Bangladesh T20Is this week, with no significant changes expected, apart from a surprise inclusion.

According to the reports, ace batter Babar Azam and ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan and fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, who last played for Pakistan during the New Zealand tour, are not under consideration.

However, left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem could be added as a surprise pick for the Bangladesh series. The 25-year-old featured in the five-match away series against the Black Caps.

Despite returning with the figures of 6-2 in two overs, Sufiyan Muqeem was left out of the T20I series against Bangladesh at home.

Pakistan will arrive in Dhaka on 16 July before taking on the Bangladesh cricket team in the first T20I on Sunday, 20 July.

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The second T20I will take place on Tuesday, 22 July, with the third and final match of the series scheduled for Thursday, 24 July.

Notably, all three T20Is will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, with the first ball of each match scheduled to be bowled at 6:00 PM local time.

The two teams recently faced each other in a three-match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium, where Pakistan achieved a clean sweep against Bangladesh.

Pakistan won the opening match by 37 runs, thanks to Shadab Khan’s outstanding all-round performance. He scored a rapid 48 runs off 25 balls and took two crucial wickets.

In the second T20I, Sahibzada Farhan and Hasan Nawaz both made significant contributions with quick half-centuries, leading Pakistan to victory.

Meanwhile, the star of the third match was Mohammad Haris, who scored a blazing unbeaten century.

Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I Series Schedule 

20 July – First T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)

22 July – Second T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)

24 July – Third T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)

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LAHORE: Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan’s T20I captain, has revealed the reason behind dropping the left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Agha Salman hailed Sufiyan Muqeem, calling him the future of white-balls cricket for the Pakistan team.

“I personally like Sufyan a lot, and in the upcoming series, he will feature in our shorter formats squads. I think Sufyan will play a crucial role in the white-ball format, and he will win a lot of matches for Pakistan in the future.

The skipper also revealed the reason for dropping, stressing the conditions here during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.

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”If we look at the conditions, spinners did not have much success here [Lahore], so a fast bowler is added in his place,” he explained.

It is worth mentioning that Sufiyan Muqeem featured in the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand this year. He played the last match of the three-match T20I series, returning with the figures of two for six in two overs.

The three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is set to begin tomorrow.

The second and third matches are scheduled for May 30 and June 1, respectively, all taking place at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. All matches will be played under lights.

Pakistan-Bangladesh Squads

Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub.

Bangladesh: Litton Das (captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Zakir Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan (vice-captain), Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam.

Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I series schedule:

28 May – 1st T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
30 May – 2nd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
1 June – 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

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Aqib Javed, the interim white-ball head coach of Pakistan, explained the reasons behind the exclusion of spinner Sufiyan Muqeem and middle-order batter Irfan Khan from the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Aqib Javed addressed the media in Rawalpindi on Wednesday ahead of tomorrow’s Champions Trophy clash against Bangladesh.

During the media conference, he was asked about the exclusion of young cricketers Irfan Khan and Sufiyan Muqeem from the squad.

In response, Aqib emphasized the importance of differentiating between performances in different formats, while highlighting the lack of ODI experience of both players.

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“We often mix T20I performances with ODIs and other formats,” he explained. “Irfan Khan has played only eight ODIs so far, and he hasn’t delivered any innings that made us feel we missed him or that he created a significant impact.”

Aqib Javed then provided a detailed breakdown of Sufiyan’s selection journey and clarified that he is still in the plans.

“We picked him based on his potential. He made his ODI debut in South Africa, and before that, he performed well in T20Is in Zimbabwe, which earned him a spot on the South Africa tour,” he added.

“But the reality is, he has played only one ODI so far, hasn’t played many List A matches, and hasn’t even made his first-class debut yet.

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“We rested Abrar Ahmed from the last ODI against South Africa to ensure he [Sufiyan Muqeem] at least got a game. We brought him in ourselves, and we know exactly where and how to utilize him in the future.”

Notably, the defending champions and hosts Pakistan have crashed out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in the group stage after consecutive defeats against New Zealand and India.

The Green Shirts will now face Bangladesh in their final group-stage match on February 27 in Rawalpindi, but the result will have no bearing on their campaign.

READ: Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan suffer decline in ICC ODI Rankings

Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali did not mince his words while criticizing young spinner Sufiyan Muqeem over sledging Indian batter Abhishek Sharma during the ongoing ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.

Pakistan Shaheens kicked off their Emerging Asia Cup campaign against India A on Saturday, during which Sufiyan got involved in a heated exchange with Abhishek.

The incident occurred on the first ball of Sufiyan’s spell when he ended Abhishek’s entertaining knock of 35 off 22, courtesy of a brilliant catch by Qasim Akram.

The young left-arm spinner gave a fiery send-off to Abhishek, signalling for silence with a finger on his lips. Abhishek lunged toward the Pakistan A bowler; however, the on-field umpires intervened to calm the situation down.

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Basit Ali took to his official YouTube channel and expressed his displeasure over the actions of the young spinner. The former batter highlighted the importance of maintaining discipline on the field.

“The cricket was top-class, but one thing that really upset me was the incident involving Sufiyan Muqeem and Abhishek Sharma,” said Basit.

“If I were sitting in the dugout or the team manager, I would have told Sufiyan, ‘Son, pick up your things and go back.’ You haven’t even played proper cricket for Pakistan yet. You should not be behaving like this.”

It’s worth noting that Pakistan Shaheens closely lost the match by seven runs as they failed to chase the target of 184. They managed to accumulate 176/7 in the allotted 20 overs.

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