Mohammad Abbas: Five Of The Best

Following the recent announcement of the signing of Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas for the first two months of the 2021 season, there’s plenty for Hampshire fans to be excited about as the new campaign nears ever closer.

Abbas has quickly become one of the world’s best Test bowlers since making his international debut in 2017, with 84 wickets to his name at an exceptional average of 22.80 in just 23 appearances. He currently holds the third best bowling average of all active international bowlers, behind only Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins, and sits 12th in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

And to mark the right-armer’s arrival at The Ageas Bowl, we’re looking at five key highlights and performances from his impressive career so far.

Test Debut v West Indies

Mohammad Abbas received his first call up for the Pakistan Test side almost four years ago, after impressing the national selectors with sustained domestic success in 2015 and 2016. And he did not disappoint on debut, claiming his maiden Test wicket for the national side with only his second ball of his debut series.

He would eventually secure three wickets in his first test match, but this was only a sign of things to come. In the third and final Test match of the series he secured his maiden five wicket haul against the West Indies, as Pakistan sealed a valuable series victory.

Fifty Up!

Abbas enjoyed an incredible 2018, claiming 50 Test wickets in his first 10 Tests, and his performances in Pakistan’s series against England in particular will live long in the memory of his fans.

Eight wickets in the first Test match of his side’s away series in England, four in each innings, saw Abbas establish himself as a constant wicket-taking threat and his exceptional spells helped Pakistan claim victory in the series curtain-raiser.

He would go on to be named Player of the Series, before further international success followed later that year.

Running Durham Ragged

Abbas is no stranger to English domestic cricket having showcased his ability with Leicestershire in 2018 and 2019. In a two-year span, the paceman returned 79 wickets at an average of just 20.67 with his remarkable consistency a hallmark of his time at Grace Road.

There was no better example than when he was able to claim 10 wickets in just 20 overs and two sessions in a clash against Durham. Not only did it secure an impressive victory for the Leicestershire side, but it also saw their opponents register record consecutive first-class innings total lows in both innings.

International Hauls

Pakistan’s home series against Australia saw Abbas round off an outstanding 12 months leading his side’s attack. He claimed 10 wickets in an match for the first time in international cricket in the series’ opening contest, picking up five-wicket hauls in each innings.

That haul also included his 50th Test wicket as he became the joint-quickest pace bowler in history to reach the milestone and the first to achieve it in the UAE.

Following the performance, he was named player of the series and climbed to 3rd in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings – his highest position to date. His efforts also saw him awarded PCB’s Test Player of the Year for 2018.

Behind-Closed-Doors

Last June, Abbas returned to the Pakistan Test side for their behind-closed-doors series against England amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He continued to be important part of their impressive seam attack throughout the series, featuring in all three fixtures – two of which were hosted at The Ageas Bowl – and claiming five-wickets against a strong home side led by Joe Root.

With Abbas set to join up with his Hampshire teammates this April, you can catch the squad in action all year long this season with a 2021 Hampshire Cricket Membership.

Alongside a whole host of exciting benefits, 2021 Members also receive access to an exclusive allocation of tickets for this summer’s Vitality IT20 between England and Sri Lanka at The Ageas Bowl.

More information on each Membership offering can be found via the link above. To find out more, please contact a member of our Ticketing Team over the phone on 02380 472002 (Opt. 2) or membership@ageasbowl.com.