On one hand, KL Rahul is not playing for India in the second ODI due to illness. On the other hand, England has given a chance to fast bowler Saqib Mahmood, who made his international debut in 2019, but has been left out of the team again and again. Do you know that Saqib Mahmood has a special connection with Pakistan. Know here this unheard truth of his live story.

Who is Saqib Mahmood?

Saqib Mahmood was born on 25 February 1997 in Birmingham, England. His upbringing and education also took place in England. Shakib was gradually making his mark in England’s domestic cricket, meanwhile he performed brilliantly in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. He was the highest wicket taker for England in the 2016 World Cup, he dismissed 13 batsmen.

After that, Shakib remained under the radar of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and finally he got a chance to make his international debut in the T20 series on the New Zealand tour. Saqib proved expensive in his first series, but only 3 months after his T20 debut, he got a chance to play his first ODI match. He made his Test debut against West Indies in the year 2022.

What is the connection with Pakistan?

Saqib Mahmood may have been born in England, but he is originally Pakistani. His family comes from Punjab province of Pakistan. Saqib’s father’s name is Tariq Mahmood. Tariq Mahmood and his wife shifted from Pakistan to England in 1997, even before Saqib Mahmood was born.

If we look at Shakib’s career, apart from taking 25 wickets in 17 ODI matches, he has dismissed 24 batsmen in 20 T20 matches. He has also played 2 test matches for England, in which he has 6 wickets in his name. Unfortunately his career so far has been plagued by injuries.

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While the batsmen score runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), there have been some bowlers who changed the entire mood of the match by putting a break on the runs. The biggest weapon of these bowlers was their ‘economy rate’. That is, how many overs were bowled giving how few runs. In the history of WTC, many bowlers have proved with their precise line-length, patience and discipline that in Test cricket, not only wickets but control is also equally important.

Jack Faulks- New Zealand

At the top of this list is Jack Fulks of New Zealand, who created a stir in his debut match in 2025. He bowled at an economy rate of only 2.20 in 50 overs. 13 maiden overs and 3 wickets costing only 110 runs. These figures show a strong glimpse of their future. His statistics show that he kept the batsmen engaged in every spell, from the new ball to the old ball.

Saqib Mahmood – England

England’s Saqib Mahmood is at second place in this list. In the 2022 season, he took 6 wickets for 137 runs in 61 overs and his economy was 2.24. The specialty of Shakib’s bowling was his swing and precise length. He always kept the batsmen on the backfoot with his bowling.

Liam Dawson – England

At number three is Liam Dawson of England, who bowled 62 overs and gave only 140 runs in his only WTC match in 2025. His economy during this period was 2.25. Although he got only 1 wicket, but such economy in such a long spell puts even the big bowlers in trouble in Test cricket.

Vernon Philander – South Africa

South Africa’s experienced fast bowler Vernon Philander is also included in this list. Philander, who gave only 368 runs in 161.5 overs during 2019-20, had an economy of 2.27. Philander has always been famous for his accuracy, and he maintained the same style in the WTC as well.

Sonal Dinusha – Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan young bowler Sonal Dinusha was also successful in making it to the top-5. In a short but effective spell of 12.3 overs, he gave only 29 runs and took 3 wickets. His economy was 2.32. Such performance in such short overs is considered very special in a Test debut.