Mohammad Abbas impresses on Notts debut after double family tragedy

Telegraph

10-05-2025

Mohammad Abbas marked the start of his stint with Nottinghamshire by taking a five-wicket haul against former club Hampshire.
Abbas enjoyed a stellar career at Hampshire, taking 180 wickets at just 19.2 from 2021-24. He was released ahead of the current season, but promptly reminded his old club of his qualities by taking five for 31 from 15 overs to put Division One leaders Nottinghamshire in command. After Nottinghamshire made 333 in their first innings, underpinned by 138 from highly rated Freddie McCann, Abbas helped to restrict Hampshire to a meagre 196. By the close of day two, Nottinghamshire were 171 for six – leading by 308 runs, and well-placed to record a third victory of the season.
Abbas's brilliant start to life at his third county followed a period of family tragedy. 'The last three months have been very hard for my family,' he said in a recent interview with The Guardian. 'Both my brother and sister passed away, so I took a break. My sister was married last June and passed because of [complications with her] pregnancy. My brother was a kidney patient for the past year. We had a plan for his transplant but he passed away just before Eid.'
Caught. LBW. Bowled.
Three wickets this morning for Mohammad Abbas. #NOTvHAM | 📺 https://t.co/vxF45RvRqC pic.twitter.com/peOJ4SRmNj
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) May 10, 2025
Now a Nottinghamshire player, Abbas immediately showed the qualities that make him such a threat in England: metronomic accuracy, harassing the front pad delivery after delivery, allied to sharp movement off the seam. Hampshire scarcely managed to score at two runs an over off Abbas, such was his unrelenting control. When Liam Dawson attempted to break the shackles, with only the lower order for company, Farhan Ahmed – Rehan's younger brother – took a diving one-handed catch at short extra cover. Ahmed then needed just two balls to take Hampshire's final wicket, dismissing number nine Kyle Abbott for a hard-hitting 67.
Magic from the Wizard.
A great catch from Ahmed dismisses Liam Dawson. #NOTvHAM | 📺 https://t.co/vxF45RvRqC pic.twitter.com/SI8jYSuh5H
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) May 10, 2025
Aged 35, Abbas still has designs on continuing his Test career. While the flat or spin-friendly wickets in Pakistan are not particularly conducive to his skills, Abbas thrived on the tour of South Africa last winter. He hopes to play on next year's Test tour of England, where he averages just 21.4 in five Tests.
Elsewhere in Division One, the reigning champions Surrey can aspire to no more than a draw at Edgbaston. Warwickshire amassed 665 for five declared, with Ed Bernard and Zen Malik both following Tom Latham in scoring centuries. Malik's 105 not out came in only his second first-class match after his late opportunity in the professional game: he is 27. Surrey closed on 98 for one.
Yorkshire are well-placed to inflict defeat upon Essex at Chelmsford. George Hill's six for 51 bowled the hosts out for just 123, giving Yorkshire a 93-run first innings lead. They had extended that advantage to 207 by the close, with Adam Lyth's second half-century of the match lifting Yorkshire to 114 for one.
Following their recovery with the bat on day one at Hove, Sussex bowled out Worcestershire for just 180, with Fynn Hudson-Prentice taking five for 40. Sussex lost both openers without scoring in their second innings but have reached 66 for three, a lead of 170 runs.
In Division Two, Kent collapsed to 156 for eight in response to Glamorgan's gargantuan 549 for nine declared. Three wickets apiece for Timm van der Gugten and James Harris now leave Glamorgan eyeing a first victory of the season, which would haul them off the bottom of the table.