Fast bowler Saqib Khan has joined the list of players in Pakistani cricket who made an immediate, high-impact entrance; he captured everyone’s attention by taking seven wickets on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.
Thanks to his brilliant bowling on the fourth day, the entire Sri Lankan team was bowled out for 446 runs, leaving Pakistan with a deficit of only 12 runs in the first innings.
Saqib claimed seven wickets for 130 runs, becoming the fourth Pakistani bowler to take seven wickets in a single innings on his Test debut.
According to his player profile with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Saqib Khan was born in Karachi on September 9, 1995. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler.
However, in an interview with the Regional Cricket Association Karachi, Saqib revealed that he hails from Mingora, Swat, and has been living in Karachi since he first began playing cricket.
During his first-class career, he represented various teams, including Karachi Region Blues, Karachi Region Whites, Engro Dolphins, Omar Associates, Khan Research Laboratories, and the State Bank of Pakistan. He has also been a part of the Quetta Gladiators.
Saqib Khan’s cricketing journey began with tape-ball cricket. He mentioned that as a child, he also played table tennis and occasionally participated in hard-ball cricket; however, his father advised him to focus specifically on cricket.
Later, recognizing his potential as a fast bowler, some individuals encouraged him to pursue hard-ball cricket. Subsequently, he joined the Future Stars Cricket Academy under the supervision of Sir Liaquat, which marked the beginning of his formal cricketing career.
According to Saqib, establishing a foothold in the Karachi cricket scene was no easy task. He faced stiff competition from established fast bowlers like Sohail Khan, Tabish Khan, and Mir Hamza, and had to work hard for a long time to secure his place.
In an interview , he highlighted the crucial support he received from his father and his elder brother, Bilal Naeem, throughout his cricketing career.
He shared that when the news of his selection for the Pakistan team arrived, both his father and mother became quite emotional.
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