Mr Cricket UAE

Razaullah’s raw pace a breath of fresh air for Pakistan’s faltering fast-bowling unit

Share
Razaullah (Source: X/@TheRealPCB)

Razaullah (Source: X/@TheRealPCB)

Rishabh Beniwal

Rishabh Beniwal

Published - 10 Sep 2026, 02:28 PM Read time - 4 mins

The unpredictability of life can land you in places you never dreamt of. Some stories don’t make sense, as fast bowler Razaullah had no business being in the Pakistan Test team in the middle of an England tour. However, as fate would have it, he became the headline of another dreadful day for his team in the series. But much to his fortune, it was for reasons that put him in a good light, unlike the rest of his teammates.

Pace, bounce and carry - the three words were synonymous with Pakistan cricket for decades as the nation produced exceptional talents from their fast-bowling factories time and again. However, the words have been long missing from their dictionary over the past few years.

The country touted as the trailblazer in pace bowling was struggling to field bowlers clocking consistently in the 140 kmph range, especially in Tests, leading to their downfall in the red-ball format.

In comes a 21-year-old pacer from Mardan, Peshawar, with experience of just eight first-class matches, catapulted into the cauldron, following another week of chaos in Pakistan cricket. Having made his first-class debut in November 2025, Razaullah wouldn’t have imagined in the wildest of dreams that his international calling was to come within a year.

His debut wouldn’t have happened for a variety of reasons, as the youngster wasn’t even aware of his selection, with his phone switched off when the selectors tried to contact him. A coach was sent to his village to track him down and deliver the news.

National call-up without a passport

According to reports, Razaullah didn’t even have a passport at the time and was in a race against time to board the plane to England. An urgent passport was arranged, and his English visa was stamped to send him to join the squad.

Thanks to another hole that the Pakistan cricket team found themselves in, Razaullah was handed the ‘red cherry’ in an attempt to bail his team out of trouble, after they again meekly surrendered against the English bowling attack in Birmingham.

Coming into the attack in the 12th over of the innings on his debut against Joe Root, the second most prolific run scorer in Tests, Razaullah had every reason to be consumed by the enormity of the occasion. It took just one delivery for the young speedster to make his presence felt as he sent down the fastest ball of the series by a Pakistani pacer, clocking 89mph/143kph.

A dream first wicket

The speeds only increased as the over progressed, with Razaullah crossing the 90mph barrier on his third ball as if he was paying tribute to his idol, the legendary Waqar Younis. However, it was the fourth delivery which made heads turn. Continuing on the hard length, the young pacer delivered another thunderbolt with his slingy action and hurried the England captain with sheer pace, trapping him in front of the stumps. 

The on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney had no hesitation in lifting his finger and making Root trudge back to the pavilion, sending Razaullah into a frenzy as he celebrated his first Test wicket. 

Razaullah comes to Pakistan's rescue late in the day

Former England captain Nasser Hussain was particularly effusive in his praise for Razaullah for dismissing Root.

"Pakistan have been calling out for something different from their bowlers for a long while. It is nice to watch that spell from Razaullah that had something, that had a point of difference, had some pace. It hurried one of the greatest batters there has ever been in Joe Root, and got him out,” Hussain told Sky Sports.

The waywardness was on show from the youngster as he was taken on by Harry Brook and Emilio Gay in his following overs, who banked on his inexperience. After a rigorous five-over spell of sheer pace, Razaullah had enough fuel in the tank to come to his team’s rescue towards the closing stages of the day’s play.

In the second over of his second spell, he managed to break a 104-run stand between Brook and Gay, making the latter chop one back onto his stumps to get his second breakthrough.

What will become of Razaullah?

The speedster finished with figures of 2/42 in nine overs at the end of the day’s play, being the lone bright spot for his team in an otherwise forgettable day. 

Pakistan have unearthed another fast-bowling talent in Razaullah, and what becomes of him in the years to come is a story waiting to be written. The country hasn’t had any dearth of fast bowling talent, but his emergence amid the decline of their overall pace unit serves as a mouth-watering prospect for their future.