In sports history, it’s common for people from one country to play for and succeed with another country. Cricket has many examples of this. For instance, players from South-Asian communities have done really well for countries like England, Australia, and South Africa.
England, in particular, has had some very talented cricketers of Pakistani descent who achieved great things while representing the country.
Here are 5 Pakistani Born Cricket players in England.
1. Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali is a well-known cricketer of Pakistani origin who has been a key player for the England team. Born in Birmingham and from the Mirpur community, this all-rounder earned the nickname ‘the beard that is feared’.
When Ali first started playing, he was seen as a promising but somewhat unpolished player. However, he quickly improved and became one of England’s most reliable players.
Last year, he was in great form, scoring 547 runs and taking 32 wickets in Test matches. He also scored 376 runs and took 23 wickets in ODIs. Thanks to his steady performances and mix of experience and youthful energy, Ali has been a valuable asset to the team.
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2. Adil Rashid
Adil Rashid, like his current teammate Moeen Ali, is a promising England bowler of Pakistani heritage from the Mirpur community. He was born in West Yorkshire and showed his talent early on, which was noticed by Terry Jenner.
By the end of 2006, Rashid had a very successful county career and was already seen as one of the top leg-spinners in the country. So far, he has taken 36 wickets in 32 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 8 wickets in 3 Test matches.
Rashid is part of a new generation of young, dynamic, and fearless English cricketers who play with a lot of freedom. Besides his excellent bowling, he can also be a useful and exciting batsman down the order.
3. Sajid Mahmood
Sajid Mahmood was one of England’s most exciting fast bowlers, known for his ability to bowl at high speeds and trouble opposing batsmen. He was born in Greater Manchester, but his family is originally from Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
There are stories about his speed being so intense that he injured teammates Andrew Flintoff and Alex Gidman early in his career. Before becoming a successful fast bowler for Lancashire, where he played for 12 years, Mahmood started out working in a supermarket.
Despite his talent, he didn’t have much impact internationally, playing only 8 Test matches and 26 ODIs for England. His best form was in late 2006 when he was chosen for the Ashes tour and then played in the 2007 World Cup.
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4. Usman Afzaal
One of the less well-known English cricketers of Pakistani origin is Usman Afzaal. Born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, he played three Test matches for England in 2001.
He began his first-class career with Nottinghamshire and then moved to Northamptonshire in 2003. In his first-class career, he scored 14,055 runs in 235 matches.
Afzaal was selected to play for England in three Tests against Australia in 2001. He struggled in the first two Tests, scoring just 6 and 18 runs.
In the third Test at The Oval, he made his only half-century, scoring 54 in the first innings. Despite this performance, he was not chosen for England again, making that Test his last international match.
5. Owais Shah
One of the most loved and memorable England cricketers of Pakistani origin is Owais Shah. From a young age, Shah was seen as a cricketing talent and later became a well-known player in English county cricket.
He led the England U-19 team to a World Cup win in 1998 and made his ODI debut against Australia in Bristol in 2001. However, he had to wait until 2006 to make his Test debut, where he scored 88 in his first Test against India in Mumbai.
Even though Shah was sometimes criticized for being slow and not very athletic, he was excellent at hitting stylish shots on the leg side. He scored 1,834 runs in ODIs and 347 runs in T20Is for England.
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