Stats don't lie: Abrar Ahmed, the white-ball spinner Pakistan has craved for years

Anurag Dasgupta

Why Abrar Ahmed is special [Source: AFP Photo]Why Abrar Ahmed is special [Source: AFP Photo]

For years, Pakistan have craved for a world-class spinner in white-ball cricket, and it seems their prayers have been answered in the form of Abrar Ahmed. Before him, there was Saeed Ajmal, who was Pakistan’s best spinner, and on his day was simply unplayable. Before him, the Men in Green had arguably the best in the business - Saqlain Mushtaq.

However, after ages, it seems Pakistan has found a gem of a bowler as Abrar, in his short international stay, has become Pakistan’s mainstay across formats. In the second ODI Vs Sri Lanka, the wily spinner ran through the Sri Lankan top order with ease, solidifying his place as one of the most promising spin-bowlers of the modern era.

Stats don't lie, Abrar is world-class

Criterion
Tests
ODIs
T20Is
Matches101325
Dismissals462531
Average34.3421.6419.29
4w/5w4/22/01/0

(Abrar Ahmed across formats)

  • The stats don’t lie; across formats, Abrar Ahmed has become Pakistan’s main spinner and has delivered the goods in the matches that he has played. In T20Is, he has scalped 31 wickets, while he has taken 25, and 46 in ODIs and Tests, respectively.
  • What’s more impressive is the fact that Pakistan are looking for a long-term spinner in white-ball cricket and Abrar has his best numbers in T20Is and ODIs.
  • He is a master of disguising batters and this has worked wonders for Abrar as the wily spinner possesses excellent record in white-ball cricket.
  • In Tests, Pakistan does have Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan as the deadly duo, but they lacked the cutting-edge in T20Is and ODI cricket, and as the numbers suggest, Abrar could fill in that void.

What makes Abrar Ahmed so special

Brilliant change of pace: Being a spinner, Abrar not only relies on his spin-bowling but can execute the change of pace to perfection. Primarily, he is a leg-break bowler and already has a terrific googly, but at the same time, he is not afraid of pushing the ball quicker through the air to deceive the batters, especially in T20I cricket.

Variation in bowling: Every bowler needs to have variation in his bowling arsenal, and Abrar certainly has it in him. He can deceive the batters with googly, and also has a flipper that puts doubts in the minds of batters. This is something that makes him a special spinner in modern times. 

Control over lines and lengths: For a spinner, maintaining the lines and lengths is a difficult task, but it's not a tough job for Abrar. As witnessed in the Asia Cup 2025, apart from Abhishek Sharma, none of the batters from any team read his variations as he hardly conceded any boundaries.

The bowler had control over his lines and lengths and that is another trait that makes him a special commodity in modern times.

Final verdict

Pakistan prayed for a world-class spinner and they have finally found one in Abrar. Surely he needs to work on his Test match bowling, but in white-ball cricket, the bowler has improved massively as the stats tell the story. He has taken his game to a different level, and there is no doubt that Abrar is the next big thing in the Pakistan team.