Razaullah, Pakistan’s new bowling sensation touted as next Waqar Younis, had no passport, was picked on bike from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when picked for England tour

Pakistan’s latest fast-bowling sensation Razaullah has taken just one Test to get cricket fans talking about him. But his journey to England was almost as dramatic as his debut. When the 21-year-old was suddenly picked for Pakistan’s England tour, there was one rather important problem. He did not have a passport. And that was not the only complication.

According to the account circulating around his late call-up, Razaullah’s phone was switched off when Pakistan needed to contact him. His coach then reportedly had to head out on a motorcycle into the hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to locate the young pacer.

Once he was found, Razaullah was told to get to Lahore as quickly as possible. Pakistan needed to arrange his passport and complete the UK visa biometrics process before he could join the team in England.


It sounds like the plot of a cricket comedy. Instead, it ended with the youngster walking onto the field at Edgbaston and dismissing one of England’s greatest modern batters.

From the hills of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Joe Root

Razaullah's arrival in England was anything but a conventional international debut. He had played only a handful of first-class matches before being thrust into Pakistan's Test side amid a major overhaul of the squad. Pakistan brought in seven replacements after the second Test, with Razaullah among the newcomers.


Then came his opportunity. England had reduced Pakistan to 133 in the first innings of the third Test when Razaullah was handed the ball. He immediately looked like someone who belonged at international level.

Razaullah beat Root with pace and movement, trapping the former England captain in front of the stumps. The review confirmed the decision, giving the young Pakistani his first Test wicket.

Why are people comparing him with Waqar Younis?

The comparison with Waqar Younis is largely about the visual impression created by Razaullah's bowling action and his ability to generate serious pace.

The youngster bowls with a distinctive, slingy, chest-on action. The Guardian described his action as having a touch of the great Pakistani fast bowler's style, while Razaullah repeatedly reached around 90 mph during his spell. That is where the Waqar comparisons begin.

Razaullah struck again

The Root dismissal was not a one-off. Later in the innings, Razaullah returned to dismiss England opener Emilio Gay for 60. A delivery around the 90 mph mark took the inside edge and crashed into the stumps.

He eventually finished the day with two wickets for 42 runs. For a bowler who had arrived in England after what appears to have been a frantic passport and visa scramble, it was quite an introduction.

Pakistan were still in trouble. England finished the opening day at 156 for four after bowling Pakistan out for 133, taking a 23-run lead. But Razaullah was one of the few bright spots for the visitors.

A career that almost never happened

The most intriguing part of Razaullah's story is how recently he emerged on the domestic scene. According to reports from his debut, the 21-year-old made his first-class debut for Peshawar only in November last year. He had played seven first-class matches, nine List A games and seven T20s before suddenly finding himself in Pakistan's Test XI against England.

That makes his rapid rise even more remarkable. One moment, he was an inexperienced domestic fast bowler in Pakistan. The next, he was bowling to Joe Root in a Test match in England. And apparently, before all that, people had to find him first.

Pakistan may have found another fast-bowling gem

Pakistan has produced an extraordinary line of fast bowlers over the decades, from Imran Khan and Wasim Akram to Waqar Younis and more recently Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Razaullah is nowhere near the stage where comparisons with those names can be treated as anything more than early excitement.

But his first Test has certainly provided a reason for the hype. He has pace. He has an unusual action. Most importantly, he has shown that he can trouble high-class international batters.

The bigger challenge will now begin. Pakistan's history is full of fast-bowling prodigies who burst onto the scene before injuries, inconsistency or problems within the system interrupted their progress. Razaullah will need the right coaching, workload management and opportunities if his early promise is to turn into a long international career.

For now, though, his story is hard to beat. A young pacer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A switched-off phone. A coach reportedly travelling by bike to find him. A last-minute passport and visa scramble.

And then, at the other end of the journey, Joe Root walking back to the pavilion after facing just four balls from Pakistan's newest fast-bowling sensation.