Tabish Khan

Tabish Khan is a legendary Pakistani domestic seamer who hit the headlines by picking his first Test wicket in his very first over of his career, in May 2021.

With this dismissal, Khan became the oldest Test cricketer to take a wicket in his first over in the last 70 years. In 1951, a 40-year-old GW Chubb had taken a wicket in his first over for South Africa against England.

What made this wicket more special is that 18 years, 137 First-Class matches, 598 wickets and 27612 balls later, the 36-year-old was finally handed a Test debut against Zimbabwe, to become a third oldest Pakistani debutant in Test history.

His Test selection was, in fairness, long overdue given his domestic exploits. At the point of writing (25/10/23), the sharp, in-swing, bowler boasts an impressive first-class record comprising 623 wickets at 24.59.

Quite remarkably, the Karachi quick has taken 39 five-wicket hauls (with another 29 four-wicket bags). He has 7 ten-wicket match hauls, including a career-best 14 wickets (7-38 and 7-52). He has two domestic hatricks – an all-bowled hatrick against a World XI whilst representing the Pakistan All Stars, alongside a double hatrick (4 wickets in 4 balls) against ZTBL.

Khan captured 77 wickets at 23.67 (7 x 5-fors) during the 2009/10 season culminating with Pakistan A selection against Sri Lanka. Two seasons later (2011/12), he topped the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy wicket-charts taking 61 wickets at 15.59 amongst another 77 wickets at 19.96 during his first-class season.

Since the 2011/12 season, Khan has continued his wicket-taking ways, with over 400 wickets at a tick over 20, including season highlights in 2014/15 (42 wickets at 19.71) and 2016/17 (62 wickets at 13.54. Quite incredibly, he has taken 37 of his 39 five-wicket hauls since the 2009/10 season - 14 over the past 8 seasons, which includes his injured 2022/23 season.

Khan has since returned to the domestic fold this season (2023/24), and following his summer is eager to return to the UK for another seasons league cricket following stints with Beckenham and Fox Lodge in 2017 and 2014, respectively.

In 2017, he helped the Kent League club to the Premiership courtesy of his 22 wickets at 20.36. A few seasons prior, he was a great success for Fox Lodge in the North West Cricket Union taking 27 wickets at 20.93 alongside 397 runs at 23.35 including a magnificent 131 against Clontarf (who finished third in the top tier of the Leinster Cricket Union in 2014) in the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup.

During the 2014 season, he also played two fixtures for the North-West Warriors in the Irish Inter-Provincial Competition taking 9 wickets at 17.89 including best bowling figures of 6-55.

It would be remiss not to mention his batting competence too, for he has 5 first-class half-centuries, 3 of which scored in recent seasons, plus his century against Clontaff to boot. The Pakistani star will be out to impress on his return for the 2024 season.