Pakistan’s experienced pacer Mohammad Abbas has surpassed the country’s legendary all-rounder Imran Khan on Monday, following his twin strike against West Indies on the third day of their first Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Abbas, who picked up three wickets for 63 runs in the first innings, made a flamboyant start to the second as he sent back Brandon King for five and Kavem Hodge for a duck in his third over.
The twin strike brought Abbas’s bowling average in the format down to 22.78, surpassing the previous best of 22.81, held by Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan across his glittering career, in which he took 362 wickets in 88 Tests.
Abbas, who made his Test debut against West Indies in 2017, has now taken 115 wickets in his 30th appearance in the format.
Among Pakistan’s best bowling averages in Tests, with a minimum of 100 wickets, Abbas now sits at the top with 115 wickets at 22.78, ahead of Imran Khan’s 362 wickets at 22.81 and Waqar Younis’s 373 wickets at 23.56.
Abbas has also become only the sixth Pakistani pacer to take 100 Test wickets away from home, joining Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, Mohammad Amir and Umar Gul on that list. His bowling average is the best among all six bowlers.
Abbas went on to finish with three wickets in the innings, later removing Justin Greaves as well. Khurram Shahzad struck twice, dismissing Shai Hope and captain Roston Chase, while Mohammad Ali and Aamer Jamal picked up one wicket each, accounting for Amir Jangoo and Tagenarine Chanderpaul respectively.
West Indies slipped to 126 for seven by stumps, holding a lead of 155 runs.
