Mirpur: Youngster Abdullah Fazal on Tuesday achieved the rare feat of becoming the sixth Pakistani player to score two fifties on Test debut for Pakistan during the first match against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Fazal, who scored 60 in the first innings, declared himself in style by scoring his second half-century in the second innings to help Pakistan chase down 268 runs.
The list of Pakistani cricketers who have achieved this distinction spans different eras and highlights some of the most promising and established names in the country’s red-ball history.
Former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood was the record holder in 1997 when he declared his dominance at the international level with scores of 128* and 50* against South Africa in Rawalpindi.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Yasir Hameed is one of the most popular names on the list, with his 170 and 105 against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2003, one of the greatest debut performances in Test cricket history.
Umar Akmal marked a brilliant start to his Test career with 129 and 75 against New Zealand in Dunedin in 2009, displaying his natural attacking ability in challenging overseas conditions.
Faqar Zaman, known for his white-ball burst, translated his aggression into red-ball cricket as well, scoring 94 and 66 in his Test debut against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2018.
More recently, Abdullah Shafiq continued the tradition with 52 and 73 against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2021, underlining his temperament and technique at the highest level.
Pakistan scored 50+ runs in both innings in the opening Test