Abrar Ahmed

Abrar Ahmed is a Pakistani cricketer who specializes as a leg spin bowler. He represents the Pakistan national cricket team in various international formats.

Early life and education

Ahmed was born on 11 September 1998 in Karachi. He belongs to the Swati tribe of the Pashtun ethnic group. His family moved to Karachi from Shinkiari, which is a small village located near Mansehra in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He is a hafiz who has memorized the entire Qur'an.

He is the youngest of eight siblings, consisting of five brothers and three sisters. One brother, Shahzad Khan, previously played as a fast bowler for National Bank. Ahmed credits his elder brother with helping his talent gain recognition during tape ball cricket sessions.

Career

A product of the Rashid Latif Academy, Ahmed made his Twenty20 debut for Karachi Kings on 10 February 2017. He later entered first-class cricket when he debuted for Sindh in the 2020–21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on 20 November 2020. After being named in the Pakistan Shaheens squad for a tour of Sri Lanka in October 2021, he made his List A debut on 11 November 2021. He was picked by Islamabad United during the 2023 Pakistan Super League draft, but he was traded to the Quetta Gladiators before the 2024 season began.

Ahmed entered the international arena in December 2022 when he was called up for the home Test series against England. He made his Test debut on 9 December 2022 at the Multan Cricket Stadium. During this match, he took 7 wickets for 114 runs in the first innings and 4 for 120 in the second. This performance made him the first Pakistani bowler to claim a ten-wicket haul on debut since 1995. He also became the thirteenth Pakistani bowler to achieve a five-wicket haul on Test debut. He further solidified his position by taking another five-wicket haul during the first innings of the Test series against New Zealand.

In May 2024, he joined the Pakistan squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. His ODI debut occurred on 26 November 2024 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. He recorded 4 wickets for 33 runs during that match to help Pakistan equalize the series 1–1. During the 2025 Asia Cup, he delivered a notable spell against Sri Lanka in September. He produced figures of 4–0–8–1, which analysts noted as a record-low four-over return for a T20 Asia Cup match.

In November 2025, Ahmed played in the third ODI of a home series against South Africa. He achieved a career-best performance by taking 4/27 to lead Pakistan to a seven-wicket victory. This result secured a 2–1 series win for his team. His bowling triggered a collapse where South Africa fell from 72 without loss to 143 all out.

Medical issues impacted his schedule in late 2023. He was diagnosed with sciatica after sustaining an injury during a practice match in Australia. This condition caused leg pain and numbness, which ruled him out of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and subsequent Test fixtures.

Personal life

Ahmed describes his mother and siblings as being supportive from the start of his journey. While his father was not initially on board, he eventually became supportive of the career. In a 2023 interview, Ahmed stated that his father is "very happy now."

Awards and recognition

Ahmed was declared Player of the Match following the ODI victory against South Africa in November 2025. He remains a prominent figure in Pakistan's bowling attack.