Yasir Shah Archives

Veteran Pakistan spinner hints at retirement from cricket

Veteran Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah has suggested that his cricket career may be nearing its conclusion.

He indicated that he is considering retirement following discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In an exclusive conversation with ARY News, the 39-year-old confirmed that he has opted out of domestic cricket this season, signalling that a formal decision on his future could be imminent.

“I am not playing domestic cricket this year. God willing, I will finalise my decision after meeting with the PCB,” Yasir stated.

One of Pakistan’s most successful Test bowlers of the modern era, Yasir represented the country in 48 Tests, claiming 244 wickets at an average of 31.38.

His dominance in UAE conditions, where Pakistan played their home Tests for nearly a decade, was particularly remarkable, as he bagged 116 wickets there at an impressive average of 24.56.

Yasir Shah also holds the illustrious record of being the fastest bowler to reach 200 Test wickets, a mark he achieved in just 33 matches.

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Reflecting on the current national side, the seasoned spinner expressed satisfaction with the team’s recent performances.

“The Pakistan team is doing well. They have won their last two T20 matches. Our prayers are always with them,” he said.

When asked about Mohammad Rizwan’s recent removal from the ODI captaincy and earlier exclusion from the T20 squad, Yasir responded with composure and empathy, drawing parallels to his own experiences of being dropped despite consistent performances.

“Our effort as players is always to perform for Pakistan. Rizwan is doing that as well. Whichever player the selectors choose as captain, the entire team supports him,” he remarked.

The veteran also addressed his own absence from the national setup, suggesting that his exclusion was not performance-related.

“Sometimes these things happen. My performances were good. Earlier, I had a knee injury, and they assumed it had returned. I told them that if fitness was the issue, they should conduct a fitness test. But no such reason was officially given,” Yasir Shah explained.

While his Test legacy remains undisputed, Yasir’s white-ball record was modest. He featured in 25 ODIs, taking 24 wickets at an average of 47.91, including one five-wicket haul, and appeared in two T20Is without success.

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Yasir’s magical delivery to Mendis sparks ball of the century debate

GALLE: Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah has sparked the ball of the century debate with his magical delivery to right-handed Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis on the third day of the ongoing first Test, here on Monday.

Veteran leg-spinner Yasir, who made his return to international cricket after a gap of almost one year, took the internet by storm with his magical delivery to right-handed batter Mendis.

Mendis, who was set on the crease, having scored 76 runs, fell victim to Yasir in the 56th over as the latter bowled an astounding delivery to put an end to his valiant inning.

The leg-spinner pitched the ball outside the leg-stump which spun sharply and castled the right-handed batter’s off-stump.

Following his magical delivery, a new debate about the ball of the century has erupted, with both Pakistan Cricket and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sharing footage of Yasir castling Mendis with a beauty.

“Just 22 years in, but do you think this will be the ball of the century?” Pakistan Cricket wrote while sharing Yasir’s magical delivery.

Just 22 years in, but do you think this will be the ball of the century❓ 🤔#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/6hlg0M88pl

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 18, 2022

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), on the other hand, asked the netizens whether the delivery could be in contention for the ball of the century, while also claiming it reminded the viewers of Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’.

“Ball of the Century candidate? Yasir Shah stunned Kusal Mendis with a stunning delivery which reminded the viewers of Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’,” SLC wrote on Twitter.

Ball of the Century candidate❓

Yasir Shah stunned Kusal Mendis with a stunning delivery which reminded the viewers of Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’.#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/uMPcua7M5E

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) July 18, 2022

Besides the two cricket boards, several cricket fans have also taken to Twitter and praised the magical delivery, while some were quick to term it the ‘Ball of the Century’.

Ball of Century #YasirShah https://t.co/LH6aJME7VO

— Waseem Dahar (@waseem_dahar94) July 18, 2022

https://twitter.com/thtpakistaniguy/status/1549050878174212096

A user, on the other hand, termed Yasir’s magical delivery ‘Ball of the Year’, while claiming that the 36-year-old is still the best leg-spinner in red-ball cricket.

https://twitter.com/ArslanTahir/status/1549098791751630851

It is pertinent to mention here that Sri Lanka have attained command of the ongoing first Test as the hosts finished at 329/9 on the third day with a combined lead of 333 runs against the Green Shirts.

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Chandimal powers Sri Lanka for 333-run lead over Pakistan in first Test

GALLE: Dinesh Chandimal defied Pakistan’s spin attack to give Sri Lanka a 333-run lead after Mohammad Nawaz completed his five-wicket haul on the third day of the first Test, here on Monday.

Chandimal shone with a magnificent knock of 86 not-out and remained firm on the crease alongside the tail-ender Prabath Jayasuriya as Sri Lanka ended on 329/9 at the conclusion of the day’s play.

Earlier Pakistan spinner rebounded after a dominating first session by Sri Lankan batters as Yasir Shah claimed three wickets while Nawaz starred with five.

Sri Lanka looked in a comfortable position on 132/2 before Lunch as Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis remained firm on the crease after spinner Mohammad Nawaz provided a breakthrough early in the day.

Leg-spinner Shah dismantled the strong-looking 91-run partnership between opener Fernando and Mendis when Sri Lanka resumed their inning on 132/2 after Lunch.

Fernando departed without disturbing the scoreboard in the second session after he played a gritty knock of 64 runs.

All-rounder Angelo Mathew failed to impress with the bat as Nawaz dismissed the Sri Lankan veteran cheaply on 9.

Mendis, on the other hand, continued to upset the Pakistan bowlers and looked dangerous on 76 before Shah’s sharp turning ball hit the off-stump to end his inning.

Dhananjaya De Silva combined excellently with the middle-order batter Dinesh Chandimal to raise the 40-run partnership after Sri Lanka were struggling at 178/5.

However, Shah again took the charge and dislodged the stump to send De Silva back to the pavilion after scoring 20.

Meanwhile, Nawaz dismissed wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella on 12 and Ramesh Mendis on 22 to complete his five-wicket haul.

Hasan Ali, on the other hand, remained the only pacer to claim a wicket during a spin-dominated day as he dismissed the number ten batter Maheesh Theekshana on a team total of 308.

Earlier, Sri Lanka resumed the day’s play with an overnight score of 36/1 and lost its lone wicket of the session at a 50-run total as Nawaz dismissed Kasun Rajitha on 7 in a leg-before wicket.

Meanwhile, Pakistan raised 218 in its first inning after the skipper Babar Azam shone with a blistering century on the second day despite a batting collapse.

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Agha to debut as Pakistan unveils Playing XI for first Test against Sri Lanka

GALLE: All-rounder Salman Ali Agha is set to make his debut for Pakistan on Saturday as the Green Shirts unveiled their Playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Following his incredible run in the last three seasons of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the all-rounder was initially named in the national team’s 18-member squad for the Test series.

The right-handed batter scored 1,629 runs at a remarkable average of 56.19 in 18 first-class matches since the 2019-2020 season. During this specific period, Agha smashed five centuries and eight half-centuries, while claiming 25 wickets with the ball.

Here's our XI for the first #SLvPAK Test tomorrow! #BackTheBoysInGreen 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/VOgFH247N6

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 15, 2022

Leg spinner Yasir Shah and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz will make their return to the Test side for the first encounter of the two-match series.

Yasir, who aided Pakistan’s 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka with his player of the series performance, will play his first Test since August 2021 after overcoming a thumb injury.

Nawaz, on the other hand, will make his return to the Test side after nearly a six-year gap, having played his last red-ball match in November 2106.

Pakistan’s XI: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc, wk), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi and Yasir Shah

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‘Have very fond memories of Sri Lanka’ Yasir confident for Test series

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed that he has very fond memories from Sri Lanka and also that he is ready for the forthcoming two-match Test series, scheduled to kick off on July 16.

Yasir, who is making his return to the Pakistan Test side after August 21 following his recovery from a thumb injury, is hoping to find his rhythm in the international circuit.

“It is tough being a leg-spinner because getting into rhythm can take time. I had to take a break from international cricket because of a thumb fracture. I played in Pakistan Cup and did a month-long camp at the National High-Performance Centre,” Yasir said.

“It helped me in regaining the rhythm required to thrive in international cricket and I could sense it when I was bowling in the nets,” he added.

The leg-spinner was a vital member of the Pakistani team that defeated Sri Lanka in a thrilling 2-1 victory in 2015, the last time the Green Shirts visited the nation. The leg-spinner also became the Pakistani bowler to 50 Test wickets surpassing his then-coach Waqar Younis.

“I have some very fond memories of Sri Lanka and this venue as I completed my 50 Test wickets here,” Yasir concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Test squad are on a tour to Sri Lanka. The Green Shirts will play a warm-up match on July 11 before the two-match Test series from July 16 to 28.

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‘Worked on googly under Mushtaq, Saqlain’ Yasir eyes strong comeback

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan leg spinner Yasir Shah has underlined his desire for a powerful comeback in the team after returning to the recently announced national Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour.

While speaking to a scheduled press conference on the commencement of the training camp here at Pindi Stadium for the upcoming tour, Yasir claimed that he had worked extensively on his googly with head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed.

“I’ve put in a lot of effort at National High Performace Centre in the meantime,” said Yasir. “I’ve worked on my googly with Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq.”

The 36-year-old Yasir praised national team skipper Babar Azam for boosting his morale while claiming that the skipper instructed him to be consistent with his line and length.

“After my comeback, I get to converse with Babar Azam which gives me confidence,” he stated.”He tells me to stick to the same line and length.”

The 36-year-old leg-spinner, who has represented the Green shirts in 25 ODI matches and produced career-best figures of 6/26, revealed that he wished to make a comeback in the limited-overs format as well.

“I gave performances in the domestic white-ball cricket and I am striving to play every format,” he stated.

He further expressed his hope to make a mark with his performance after being out of the team for a while due to an injury.

“It takes time to recover from the injuries but I am hopeful to perform well in the future” he added. “I’ve done well in Sri Lanka before, and I’m sure this time too,” he concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that the national Test squad will depart for Sri Lanka for two Tests. The first Test will commence on July 16 at Galle, while the second Test will be staged at Colombo from July 24 to July 28.

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