ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cricket star Mohammad Abbas achieved a significant career milestone on Day Two of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Saturday.
After more than three years away from international cricket, Muhammad Abbas made a triumphant return, becoming the latest player to join the prestigious 100 Test wickets club.
With 100 wickets in 27 Tests at an impressive average of 22.99 and an economy rate of 2.48, Muhammad Abbas now ranks 19th among Pakistan’s all-time most successful Test bowlers.
At the top of the list is the legendary Wasim Akram, the left-arm pacer, with an impressive 414 wickets from 104 Tests.
Waqar Younis holds the second spot with a remarkable 373 wickets to his name while among the active bowlers in the list is left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi, who has taken 116 wickets in 31 Test matches.
Who is Mohammad Abbas?
Muhammad Abbas hails from a small village, Jathekey, situated in the outskirts of Sambrial in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
According to Cricinfo, Abbas made his first-class debut in 2009 for his regional team Sialkot, who won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy that season.
The talent man played three matches taking only four wickets at an average of 32 in 2008-09. However, he emerged to prominence only in 2016 after two successful domestic seasons.
Mohammad Abbas completes 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Test wickets in his 2️⃣7️⃣th match ✅
South Africa are all out for 615.#SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/7vbevEkc9K
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 4, 2025
He was the top wicket-taker in the 2015-16 domestic first-class competition with 61 wickets in 10 games at an impressive bowling average of 16.78 for Khan Research Laboratory, the Cricinfo reported.
Abbas drew the national selectors’ attention by leading the wicket-taking charts in 2016-17 again, taking 71 wickets at a stunning average of 12.74.
He then picked fifteen wickets in the Departmental One Day Cup, a domestic one-day competition, to further stamp an impression to get selected.
His performances and fitness rewarded him with a spot on the trip of the West Indies in 2017 where he was handed his Test cap by captain Misbah-ul-Haq.
Mohammad Abbas has once again captured the spotlight, reaching this remarkable milestone by dismissing Kwena Maphaka for a duck in South Africa’s first innings.
