Ramiz Raja: “What I admire most is that he can come straight from the bench, be thrown into crunch situations, and still deliver for Pakistan”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said he admires spinner Abrar Ahmed for his ability to have an immediate impact even after coming off the bench.
He noted that if Abrar misses a match, he doesn’t need time to get back into rhythm as the 27-year-old is ready to go right away.
The Karachi native has become one of Pakistan’s first-choice spinners across all three formats as he has consistently taken wickets when given the opportunity to play.
“What I admire most is that he can come straight from the bench, be thrown into crunch situations, and still deliver for Pakistan,” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Geo Super.
Abrar recently featured in Pakistan’s T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan, and took six wickets in two games at an average of 4.33 and an economy rate of 3.25.
He is now involved in the 2025 Asia Cup and has claimed five wickets in six matches at an average of 22.80 and an economy rate of 5.02.
Pakistan beat Oman and the UAE in the group stage, but also lost to India.
They fell to India again in the Super Four, but turned things around with wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which also got them into the final.
Pakistan will face India in the Asia Cup final on September 28 in Dubai.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem