Pakistan’s Saqib Khan made an impressive start to his Test career by taking seven wickets in his debut match against Sri Lanka. The right-arm bowler finished with figures of 7 for 130 in 34 overs during the first innings of the ongoing opening Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
His performance helped Pakistan bowl Sri Lanka out for 446 on the fourth morning. With this effort, Saqib also joined a select group of Pakistani bowlers to have taken seven wickets in an innings on their Test debut.
He is only the fourth Pakistan bowler to achieve the feat.
Saqib Khan Becomes Fourth Pakistani To Take Seven Wickets On Test Debut
Mohammad Nazir was the first Pakistani to claim seven wickets in an innings on his Test debut. He achieved the milestone against New Zealand in Karachi in October 1969, returning figures of 7 for 99 in 30.1 overs.
Fast bowler Mohammad Zahid followed him in November 1996. Making his debut against New Zealand in Rawalpindi, Zahid picked up seven wickets for just 66 runs in 20 overs. His performance remains the best bowling effort by a Pakistani on Test debut.
Abrar Ahmed was the third Pakistani to join this list. He made his Test debut against England in Multan in December 2022 and took seven wickets for 114 runs in 22 overs.
Saqib has now become the latest addition to this group with his impressive performance against Sri Lanka.
Best Bowling Figures For Pakistan On Test Debut
| PLAYER | OVERS | RUNS | WICKETS | INNINGS | AGAINST | VENUE | START DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Zahid | 20.0 | 66 | 7 | 2nd | New Zealand | Rawalpindi | November 28, 1996 |
| Mohammad Nazir | 30.1 | 99 | 7 | 1st | New Zealand | Karachi | October 24, 1969 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 22.0 | 114 | 7 | 1st | England | Multan | December 9, 2022 |
| Saqib Khan | 34.0 | 130 | 7 | 1st | Sri Lanka | Rawalpindi | November 9, 2026 |
| Bilal Asif | 21.3 | 36 | 6 | 1st | Australia | Dubai (DICS) | October 7, 2018 |
| Asif Afridi | 34.3 | 79 | 6 | 1st | South Africa | Rawalpindi | October 20, 2025 |
| Arif Butt | 21.3 | 89 | 6 | 1st | Australia | Melbourne | December 4, 1964 |
| Aamer Jamal | 20.2 | 111 | 6 | 1st | Australia | Perth | December 14, 2023 |
| Tanvir Ahmed | 28.0 | 120 | 6 | 1st | South Africa | Abu Dhabi | November 20, 2010 |
| Noman Ali | 25.3 | 35 | 5 | 2nd | South Africa | Karachi | January 26, 2021 |
Who Holds The Record For Best Bowling Figures On Test Debut?
While Saqib has made it to the list of Pakistan’s best debut performers, the overall record belongs to Australia’s Albert Trott.
Trott made his Test debut against England in Adelaide on January 11, 1895. He took eight wickets for just 43 runs in 27 overs, a record that still stands as the best bowling figures on Test debut.
Australia’s Bob Massie and India’s Narendra Hirwani are the only other bowlers to have taken eight wickets in both innings of their debut Test matches.
Best Bowling Figures On Test Debut
| PLAYER | TEAM | OVERS | RUNS | WICKETS | INNINGS | AGAINST | VENUE | START DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Trott | Australia | 27.0 | 43 | 8 | 2nd | England | Adelaide | January 11, 1895 |
| Bob Massie | Australia | 27.2 | 53 | 8 | 2nd | England | Lord’s | June 22, 1972 |
| Narendra Hirwani | India | 18.3 | 61 | 8 | 1st | West Indies | Chennai | January 11, 1988 |
| Lance Klusener | South Africa | 21.3 | 64 | 8 | 2nd | India | Eden Gardens | November 27, 1996 |
| Narendra Hirwani | India | 15.2 | 75 | 8 | 2nd | West Indies | Chennai | January 11, 1988 |
| Bob Massie | Australia | 32.5 | 84 | 8 | 1st | England | Lord’s | June 22, 1972 |
| Alf Valentine | West Indies | 50.0 | 104 | 8 | 1st | England | Manchester | June 8, 1950 |
| Jason Krejza | Australia | 43.5 | 215 | 8 | 1st | India | Nagpur | November 6, 2008 |
| Kyle Abbott | South Africa | 11.4 | 29 | 7 | 1st | Pakistan | Centurion | February 22, 2013 |
Saqib Khan’s Five-Wicket Burst Helps Pakistan Bowl Out Sri Lanka
Saqib had already picked up two wickets on the third day before returning to trouble Sri Lanka again on Thursday morning.
The debutant claimed five more wickets in the morning session, completing his seven-wicket haul and helping Pakistan wrap up the Sri Lankan innings for 446 runs.
Sri Lanka had resumed the fourth day’s play at 404 for 4 after batting for 102 overs. However, they could not build on their strong position as Saqib’s spell brought Pakistan back into the contest.