Zahid Mahmood Archives

Pakistan make one addition to squad for first Test against England

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has added leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood to the squad for the first of the three-match Test series against England.

The first Test is set to take place in Multan from 7-11 October, while the training camp will commence from 1 October.

Zahid will join the team’s training camp in Multan, however, the squad will be trimmed to 15 players at the start of the first Test on October 7.

Meanwhile, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali will be reserve players, but they will continue to play in the domestic matches.

“Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali will remain on reserve but will continue playing domestic matches to stay match-ready,” the PCB said in a statement.

“All three players are part of the Pakistan Test team setup, but 15 players are sufficient for the home Test series due to cricketing and logistical reasons,” he added.

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Following the squad announcement and based on the recommendation of head coach Jason Gillespie, the selected players have been withdrawn from the Champions One-Day Cup playoffs to allow them some rest ahead of the series.

“With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England,” said Gillespie.

“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters,” he added.

Pakistan Squad for first England Test:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood.

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Zahid Mahmood eyes victory over Peshawar Zalmi

KARACHI: Karachi Kings’ leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood expressed his hope to defeat Peshawar Zalmi in their final group stage match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.

Mahmood, during the post-match press conference, after Karachi Kings’ thrilling three-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars opened up about his plans for the match against Peshawar Zalmi.

“We plan according to every match and opposition. I try to bowl according to the plan and the role given to me by team management,” said Mahmood.

“We will carry the momentum from today’s victory and will defeat Peshawar Zalmi in the next match,” he added.

Karachi Kings’ batters Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Irfan Khan displayed nerves of steel and guided the Kings to an enthralling victory over arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars.

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The victory kept Karachi Kings in contention to make it to the playoffs as they moved just one point shy of Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United, sitting in fourth and third place respectively.

Chasing 178 on a tricky National Bank Stadium surface, the home side knocked the winning runs when Shoaib Malik slashed Zaman Khan for a boundary on the final delivery.

Talking about the match, Zahid Mahmood shared that although his team won, they will learn from their mistakes to perform better in the next game.

“We started well today but made some mistakes in the middle, resulting in the match going to the last over,” said the right-arm bowler. “But we will try not to repeat those mistakes in the next match.”

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‘I tried to give my best,’ Zahid on unwanted record on Test debut

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s debutant leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood commented on his unwanted record on his Test debut and asserted to have given his best in the ongoing Rawalpindi Test against England.

On a question regarding the legacy of Pakistan leg-spinners like Abdul Qadir and Mushtaq and his dismal Test debut in which he registered the worst bowling figure of four for 235 in 35 overs, Zahid claimed to have given his best on the field.

“Look, we play domestic cricket so that we can play for Pakistan one day. So, from my end, I strived to the fullest and bowled,” said Zahid.

“No doubt they played well but it was my first match and I tried my best,” he added.

The leg-spinner then responded to a question regarding the unresponsive nature of the pitch and emphasized as a professional he is determined to prove himself regardless of the conditions.

“Obviously the wicket is good, there is no doubt about that but regardless of how the pitch is, as a bowler it is our responsibility to prove ourselves and we tried to do the same,” said Zahid.

The debutant then went on to predict the nature of the pitch in the last two days by sharing that it has already started to act better than the first day.

“Definitely, it was different to that on the first day as it was offering something. So, I think, on the fourth or fifth day it would help the spinners,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that England finished their first record-breaking first innings against Pakistan on a mammoth 657 before Pakistan openers Imam-ul-Haq (90) and Abdullah Shafique (89) bolstered the hosts to a fighting start.

The duo put on an unbeaten 181-run partnership before the stumps on Day 2 to cut Pakistan’s deficit to 476 runs.

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Zahid Mahmood registers unwanted record on Test debut

RAWALPINDI: Leg spinner Zahid Mahmood produced the most expensive debut bowling performance in the history of Test cricket during the ongoing first Test between Pakistan and England, here at Pindi Cricket Stadium.

Mahmood, who has so far conceded 227 runs from 31 runs while bagging two wickets, when visitors are still not finished with their first innings, has relieved the burden from England’s Adil Rashid for holding Test cricket’s most unflattering figures on debut.

Rashid’s unimpressive figures of nought for 163 from 34 overs in the first innings of the Abu Dhabi Test against Pakistan in 2015 was the most unwanted start of a Test career before Mahmood took this dubious record from him.

The match eventually ended in a draw as Rashid earned his honour back in the second innings when he took a five-wicket haul while offering just 64 runs from 18.5 overs.

Mahmood can also hope for a majestic comeback in the later innings as England currently looks solid on the second day of the Rawalpindi Test as they have scored 646/8 so far in the first innings.

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Zahid Mahmood replaces Mohammad Nawaz for white-ball series

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have confirmed that the leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood has replaced all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz in the white-ball series squad for the home series against Australia.

In a statement, released on the official website of the PCB, the cricket board have confirmed that the leg-spinner Zahid has replaced Nawaz in the white-ball series.

Nawaz, who sustained a foot injury during the seventh season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) could not recover in time.

Zahid, on the other hand, will join the white-ball series squad after the conclusion of the ongoing Test series between Pakistan and Australia.

Furthermore, Zahid will also act as a cover for the leg-spinner Shadab Khan.

In a PCB released statement, Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim said that Nawaz could not fully recover from the injury and Zahid, who is already a part of the Test squad is an ‘adequate replacement’.

“Unfortunately Mohammad Nawaz has not recovered fully from the foot injury he suffered during the [PSL 7[. We also need to reassess Shadab Khan’s fitness once he joins the squad before playing him in this high profile series which is very important for us in terms of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League points,” PCB quoted Wasim.

“Zahid has been with the team for the Tests and we feel he is an adequate replacement in the present situation and can potentially make a contribution to the team if needed.”

It is apropos to mention here that the white-ball series comprises of a three-match ODI series and one-off T20I will roll into action from March 29 here.

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