Abrar Ahmed makes historic ODI debut with four-for as Pakistan spinners rout Zimbabwe
Pakistan gamble on youth pays off as Abrar headlines spin-dominant day
Only the second Pakistan spinner ever to take four wickets on ODI debut. That is the company Abrar Ahmed moved into, matching the mark set by the late Abdul Qadir and doing it with the calm of a veteran. His 4-33 cut through Zimbabwe and set up a low chase after the hosts were bundled out for 145 in 32.3 overs, a collapse scripted almost entirely by spin.
The backdrop made it even bolder. Pakistan were 0-1 down in the series and under pressure. The management tore up the script, handing ODI caps to Abrar and top-order batter Tayyab Tahir while sitting out Haseebullah Khan and fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain. It was a statement: if conditions hint at grip and turn, back the spinners and go all-in.
Abrar shared the new ball with Aamer Jamal and took a couple of early blows — two boundaries in his first over. No panic. He tightened his length, slowed his pace a touch, and drew Joylord Gumbie into a mistake. Gumbie fell for 5 near the end of Abrar’s second over, the maiden ODI scalp that settled nerves and opened the door for what followed.
His first spell in the powerplay was about control as much as strikes. Five overs, 23 runs, one wicket, and the sense that Zimbabwe couldn’t line him up. The legbreaks dipped late, the googly stayed hidden until the last second, and every over asked a new question.
The real damage came in a sharp second burst starting in the 28th over. He pinned Brandon Mavuta for 3, beat Brian Bennett on the inside edge for 14, and had Richard Ngarava top-edging a miscued swipe for 2. Three wickets in three overs shut down any hope of a late surge. The figures — 4-33 — were tidy, but the timing was the killer blow.
Pakistan didn’t lean on Abrar alone. White-ball vice-captain Salman Ali Agha was relentless through the middle, returning 3-26 with tight lines and smart changes of pace. Saim Ayub and Faisal Akram chipped in with a wicket each. Between them, the spin unit took nine wickets — the 43rd time in ODIs that spinners have claimed nine in an innings, and the 30th among Full Members. It was dominance by design, not accident.
The tactical calls were clear from the first over. Pakistan pushed mid-on and mid-off straighter, protected the sweep with a square leg saver, and dared Zimbabwe to hit against the turn. With Jamal holding one end and soft hands through the infield not easy, batters were dragged into risks they didn’t want to take. An early scorecard wobble turned into a slide.
Abrar’s method stood out because it travels well. He bowled fuller than most debutants, hitting the stumps and teasing the drive. The googly wasn’t overused. He mixed pace within a narrow band, used the crease, and made sure his stock ball stayed trustworthy. Four wickets on debut tend to come from surprises; these came from plans carried out cleanly.
This isn’t a bolt from the blue. Abrar first lit up international cricket with 11 wickets on his Test debut against England in 2022, his variations and drift immediately stamped as high-class. What ODI cricket demands is different — tempo control, boundary denial, and pressure built over spells rather than sessions. On this evidence, his toolkit is made for it.
Context matters too. With Pakistan trailing in the series, this was a pressure game. Abrar said the same after play, crediting captain Mohammad Rizwan for steadying him when the ball was new and the margin for error thin. You could see that in the tempo: he started brisk, took a breath, then worked through gears without losing control.
Zimbabwe’s batters tried to break the bind with releases down the ground and hard sweeps. Bennett looked the most likely to reset the innings, but the lack of partnerships hurt. Once Abrar’s second spell kicked off, lower-order resistance went fast. Pakistan closed the ring, cut off singles, and the improvised slogs brought edges rather than gaps.
There was discipline through the 32.3 overs. No long spell of freebies, no string of misfields to change the mood. The plan to front-load spin and keep the ball in slow hands at both ends worked because support play matched the main act.
For Pakistan, this performance answers a couple of short-term questions. One, the bench has playable spin depth. Two, in conditions that slow down early, they don’t have to wait for overs 11–40 to bring their trump cards in. Opening the bowling with a legspinner is risky if you miss your lengths. They didn’t. The early boundaries didn’t shake them out of the plan.
It also sharpens selection debates. If Abrar holds his spot, who makes way when senior options return? How do they balance the attack if pitches offer less grip? Today’s template — three frontline spin options with part-time support — won’t be an every-venue plan, but it’s one they can trust when surfaces hint at turn.
On the numbers, the nine-wicket haul for spin jumps off the page, but the rhythm of the innings told the story better. Zimbabwe reached for the reset button and couldn’t find it. Singles dried up, dot-ball pressure rose, and the big shots arrived on the bowlers’ terms. That is ODI spin at its most useful: not magical balls every over, just a squeeze that never loosens.
What comes next? Pakistan’s chase still needed cool heads, but the tone was already set. A target of 146 is designed for a calm hand rather than fireworks. With a series on the line, the best thing a bowling unit can do is make the batters’ day small. They did exactly that.
For Abrar personally, joining Abdul Qadir on this particular list is a neat marker, but the real win is how repeatable this looked. His lengths were brave and consistent. He read batters quickly and made mid-over shifts that stuck. That’s not debut luck; that’s a method.
And for Zimbabwe, there are fixes within reach. Commit to the sweep earlier or park it altogether, but don’t sit in the channel. Use the crease to change release points. And when spin takes over both ends, find the late cut and drop-and-run singles to move the field. The outline was there; the execution wasn’t.
The match will be remembered for the headline — four on debut — and for the way Pakistan backed their call under pressure. By the time Abrar wheeled away with his fourth, the decision to pick two debutants while trailing in the series felt less like a gamble and more like a roadmap.
Key moments, by the numbers and the eye
- First incision under pressure: After two early boundaries, Abrar removed Joylord Gumbie for 5 near the end of his second over, settling the new-ball exchange.
- Powerplay control: 5 overs, 1 wicket, 23 runs — enough to keep the lid on while angles and fields did the work.
- The three-over burst: Starting in the 28th, he nailed a trio — Brandon Mavuta (3), Brian Bennett (14), Richard Ngarava (2) — to end any late lift.
- Support cast: Salman Ali Agha 3-26 with steady pace changes; Saim Ayub and Faisal Akram one apiece. Nine wickets to spin, a rare ODI sight and the 43rd such instance overall.
- Tactical win: Spin with the new ball, straight fields to defend the on-drive, and no panic after early hits. The plan held firm from ball one.
On debut days, nerves often show up on the seam. Abrar’s showed up for two balls, then vanished. The rest was just good, hard-nosed ODI spin bowling — no fuss, no mystery for mystery’s sake, and a finish that puts Pakistan right back in the series conversation.
