Yasir Shah (born 2 May 1986) is an international cricketer from Pakistan. He bowls and is the second fastest bowler in Test cricket history at 100 wickets and the fastest at 200 wickets, having broken the previous record held by Australian bowler Clarrie Grimmett.

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Yasir Shah is a cricketer who plays for the Pakistan national cricket team. He has been part of the team since 2014 and has enjoyed a successful period with the team. Yasir Shah was born on May 2, 1986 in Swabi, North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Yasir Shah made his debut for the Pakistan national cricket team in 2014 in the ODI/T20/Test format.

Yasir Shah plays primarily as a team bowler and is a prolific legbreak googly bowler, having won many wickets for teams in both domestic and international cricket. He can also bat in the lower order and has scored some important runs for the team. Yasir Shah bats with the right bat. He is a brilliant outfield player and can set up anywhere on the ground. He is good with both his ground field and his catching.

Yasir Shah plays for the Pakistan National Cricket Team ODI/T20/Test format. He represents Pakistan, Abbottabad Rhinos, Brisbane Heat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Lahore Qalandars, Pakistan A, Pakistan Customs, Rest of North-West Frontier Province, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, Trinbago Knight Riders team in domestic cricket.

Family Info & Education

Yasir Shah was born on May 2, 1986 in Swabi, KPK, Pakistan. Yasir Shah belonged to a Bondizai Pashtun family in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 1986. Yasir is the cousin of Pakistani fast bowler Junaid Khan as well as Australian leg spinner Fawad Ahmed. Yasir is a skilled right-arm leg-spin bowler and a decent hitter. Yasir made his top-of-the-line debut aged 15 in 2002 but had to trust that nine years of international cricket would speak for Pakistan. Yasir played for Pakistan Customs from 2001 to 2009 and then Abbottabad Rhinos. Yasir also played for the Pakistan A-side.

Domestic and T20 franchise career

Yasir Shah made his first class debut in February 2002. Shah has played for numerous teams in the Pakistani first class cricket scene including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cricket team, Abbottabad Rhinos, Pakistan Customs cricket team and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited. He has also played cricket for Pakistan A cricket team. He was selected to play for the Brisbane Heat alongside fellow Pakistani Shadab Khan for the 2017–18 Big Bash League season.

In October 2018, he was drafted into the Khulna Titans squad for the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League.

International Career

Shah was first spotted wearing national colors in an ODI game against Zimbabwe in Harare. He took 2 wickets in that match. In the same series, Yasir Shah made his T20 debut. He has played two T20 matches and remained wicketless. Yasir Shah also took part in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and played his first World Cup match against India. He has played 25 ODIs and taken 24 wickets with his best numbers of 6/26. His campaign in limited overs cricket has not been impressive but he has shown his talent in the longer format of the game.

In August 2018, he was one of 33 players awarded a core contract for the 2018–19 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Shah made his Test debut against Australia toured to the UAE in 2014. He was chosen to replace Saeed Ajmal, who was suspended for an illegal bowling activity. In the first Test he took 7 for 116 with Steve Smith becoming his first wicket. He helped the team win the game by 221 carries. In the second Test, he picked 5 for 91, resulting in a 356-run victory for Pakistan and a whitewash for Australia. He picked 12 overall for 207 and was the second-highest wicket-taker of that series. In January 2015, Shah was selected in Pakistan's squad for the 2015 Cricket World Cup and was considered a long-term replacement for Pakistan's suspended off-spinner Saeed Ajmal. He made his World Cup debut on February 15, 2015 against arch-rivals India.

In June 2015, while on tour against Sri Lanka, Shah became the fastest Pakistani bowler to win 50 Test wickets, a feat he managed in just nine games. The record for Pakistan in Test cricket was previously held by Waqar Younis, Mohammad Asif and Shabbir Ahmed, all winning 50 wickets in ten matches. However, the fastest bowler to have 50 wickets in Test cricket is Charles Turner of Australia, who accomplished the feat in just six matches. Shah then recorded 3 consecutive moves with five wickets in three Tests against Sri Lanka, further improving his Test record. For his performances in 2015, he was included in the World Test XI by the ICC. He was also named in the Test XI of 2015.

On July 18, 2016, Shah peaked at No. 1 in the ICC Test bowler rankings, becoming the first Pakistani bowler since Ahmed in December 1996. He ousted fast Englishman Jimmy Anderson from No. 1 and is the first leg spinner since Warne in 2005, which landed at #1. However , after his poor performance in the second test eight days later , he dropped four places to fifth.

In November 2018, in the second test against New Zealand, Shah took fourteen wickets in the game. In the first innings, he took eight wickets for 41 carries, the best for any bowler against New Zealand in a Test match. On the same day he took ten wickets overall to become the first bowler for Pakistan and only the second bowler overall to take ten wickets in a single day of Test match cricket. His match totals of 14/184 are currently the best by a Pakistani spin-bowler in Tests, the second-best totals by any bowler for Pakistan in Tests, and most wickets by a single bowler against New Zealand in a Test match.

In December 2018, Shah took his 200th wicket in Test cricket during the same series against New Zealand. He became the fastest bowler in terms of matches played, taking 200 wickets in Tests and doing so in his 33rd match.

In November 2019, Yasir Shah set a record during the series against Australia by becoming the first bowler ever to concede 200 runs three times in one innings of a Test match. He also scored his first century in Test cricket during the same series. In the series against Bangladesh he took 4-58 in the 2nd innings of the first Test.

In June 2020, he was called up to a 29-man squad for Pakistan's tour to England amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In July he was shortlisted for Pakistan's 20-man squad for the friendly against England.

In November 2020, Shah was nominated for the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Decade Award. In January 2021, he was called up to the Pakistan Test squad for their series against South Africa.

In Yasir Shah's 17th Test game, he hit 100 Test wickets, the second-fastest of any bowler. Yasir Shah has played a total of 42 friendlies and won 224 wickets. His best record of 8/41 in Test cricket was against New Zealand. In that match Yasir Shah took 14 wickets and during the same series he became the fastest bowler to reach a milestone of 200 Test wickets.

In addition to the record for wickets, he also holds the record for allowing more than 200 runs three times in an innings. He also has a century to his name, scoring against Australia last year. He is a force to be reckoned with for the opposition and an asset to the Pakistan team.

Five-wicket hauls

As of November 2018, Shah has 16 five-wicket moves in Test matches and one in a One Day International, ranking him as one of the top spinners currently playing the game. Shah's best bowling numbers are 8/41 against New Zealand in 2018. He also became the fastest Pakistani to reach 50 Test wickets. Shah's best ODI numbers of 6/26 were recorded against Zimbabwe in 2015, which is also bowling's second best ODI numbers for Pakistan at the moment.

Statistics and Records

Yasir has exceptional statistics in Test cricket, having won 165 wickets in just 28 games using 13 five-wicket moves. He became the fastest Pakistani bowler to claim 50 Test wickets. He is the fifth fastest bowler in Test cricket history to score 100 wickets.

In September 2017, Yasir became the joint second-fastest bowler with 150 Test wickets. In 2017 he was named Test Player of the Year by the Pakistan Cricket Board.