Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas: “Age is not a hindrance to my performance. I am 34 years old, but James Anderson [was] still playing at [41]. As long as you are fit, you should continue playing cricket. If you can bowl 20 overs a day, it means you are fit to play”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas doesn’t think age should stop him from returning to the national team and pointed out that England pace bowler James Anderson kept hold of his spot until retiring at the age of 41.
Abbas hasn’t played international cricket since August 2021 even though he boasts an impressive Test record.
The 34-year-old has taken 90 wickets in 25 Tests at an average of 23.02.
Over the past few years, Abbas has mainly played county cricket in England, where he has become an instrumental player for Hampshire.
In the recent County Championship season, he picked up 36 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 24.25.
During that time, he also went past 700 first-class wickets and currently has 710 wickets to his name in 180 games at an average of 20.90.
“Age is not a hindrance to my performance. I am 34 years old, but James Anderson [was] still playing at [41]. As long as you are fit, you should continue playing cricket. If you can bowl 20 overs a day, it means you are fit to play. No one from the PCB or the selection committee has ever told me that I am not playing because of my age,” Abbas told Cricket Pakistan.
The Sialkot native didn’t feature in the Champions One-Day Cup, which was a 50-over tournament held in Faisalabad.
However, he did play in the President’s Cup Grade-I (1-Day) competition and claimed six wickets in four games for the State Bank of Pakistan at an average of 37.50.
The Pakistan team recently faced Bangladesh in a two-Test series, which they lost 2-0.
Currently, they are taking on England in a three-match Test series, which is tied at 1-1.
The third Test will get underway on October 24 in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Zahid Mahmood.