The young boy who has grabbed the attention of many recently by making his first ODI century in the World Cup 2023, Abdullah Shafique, has a crazy passion for cricket.
Abdullah Shafique belongs to the Pakistan cricket team and is a right-handed top-order batsman who was born on November 20, 1999, in Sialkot. Apart from his intriguing cricket career, he also enjoys music side by side, with his song covers exploding the internet.
Abdullah Shafique’s Early Life
Abdullah Shafique is a 23-year-old lad known for his marvellous performance as a cricketer. Surprisingly, Abdullah Shafique’s father, Shafique Ahmed, was also a former player and coach, and he is currently living in Dubai. He was famous during the 1890s-1990s, being one of the most polished cricketers. Abdullah Shafique’s uncle, Arshad Ali, also played at an international level and was part of the UAE cricket team.
However, Abdullah managed to surpass his uncle as well as his father, unleashing his inner talents. After completing his primary education in Sialkot, he started practicing cricket at the Aamir Cricket Club. Among the choice of education and following his passion, he chose cricket. He received immense support from his family members. Moreover, he belonged to a middle-class family; therefore, choosing cricket over education was a difficult task to carry.
Abdullah Shafique’s Cricket Career
Babar Azam once mentioned in an interview that Abdullah Shafique has been batting exceptionally since a very young age. He further added that Abdullah seems like a player right out of a book.
This was not it. Abdullah’s fellow teammates, including Shaheen Afridi, claimed that Abdullah is the second-best batsman after Babar Azam, appreciating his masterly batting skills on the ground.
While growing up, Abdullah mentioned that he admired Ricky Ponting, who is an Australian coach. He further added that his pull shots have always caught his attention. But while in the Pakistan camp, he looked up to Babar Azam, who is a brilliant player in all three formats of the game. Just like many others, Abdullah aspires to learn from him and perform more as well.
Abdullah Shafique’s Domestic Achievements
With his father being a player and coach, it was obvious for him to get interested in cricket. His awe-striking journey started by being chosen in the Multan Sultan team for Pakistan Super League in the year 2018, but unfortunately, he was not given the opportunity to play in the matches.
Later, in the Quaid e Azam trophy from 2018 to 2019, he played for the Central Punjab team. He was recognized as a top scorer during the T20I cup matches during 2021-2023, where he scored 133 runs. Abdullah made his first debut and scored 120 runs, and he became the first Pakistani batsman to score a century on his first-class T20 debut.
Then, in 2021, he was entitled to the Lahore Qalandars squad for PSL 2022. In addition to this, he majorly participated in Pakistan under-19 matches, Sialkot region Under-16s, Punjab Under-19s, and Sialkot region Under-19.
Abdullah Shafique’s International Achievements
After his outstanding performances in the national T20, he was chosen to be part of the squad that played against Zimbabwe, which was his first international debut. Abdullah played an integral part in the series against England, West Indies, and New Zealand. In the 2021 series, he participated against Bangladesh, which was remarked as his best test debut.
Furthermore, he was associated with the Pakistan cricket team present in Australia, scoring an international test century against Australia. Then, finally, Shafique played in opposition to the Netherlands team in 2022, which was declared as his ODI debut. Pakistan’s ODI player number 238, Abdullah Shafique, was granted the debut cap from Muhammad Yosuf.
Recently, in October 2023, his journey accelerated, and he got even more fame as he debuted in the 2023 World Cup against Sri Lanka, marking the event by scoring his first ODI century. In addition, he really appreciated the partnership of his fellow player, Muhammad Rizwan. He employed certain tactics to achieve his first century on a large cricket field. He was repeatedly surpassed as the highest successful run chase in the match.
Abdullah Shafique’s Achievements
In very little time, Abdullah Shafique has successfully managed to make a name for himself in the cricket industry. His achievements are as follows,
- He is the fastest Pakistani batsman to score 1,000 Test runs
- He holds the record for the highest individual score by a Pakistani batsman in Test cricket in Sri Lanka
- He is the youngest Pakistani batsman to score a century in each innings of a Test match
Abdullah Shafique’s Awards
As an emerging star, Abdullah has already gotten three awards to his name in a very short span of time. His awards include,
- Player of the Series in the 2023 Test series against Sri Lanka
- PCB Emerging Player of the Year in 2022
- ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2022
Conclusion
Abdullah Shafique is an extremely gifted and talented cricketer, as claimed by many. His recent ODI debut proves his skills and shows his passion for cricket. At a very young age, he has made an impact on the cricket industry and has definitely become one of the best!
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