Pakistan’s latest fast-bowling sensation Razaullah has taken just one Test to get cricket fans talking about him. But his journey to England was almost as dramatic as his debut. When the 21-year-old was suddenly picked for Pakistan’s England tour, there was one rather important problem. He did not have a passport. And that was not the only complication.
According to the account circulating around his late call-up, Razaullah’s phone was switched off when Pakistan needed to contact him. His coach then reportedly had to head out on a motorcycle into the hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to locate the young pacer.
Once he was found, Razaullah was told to get to Lahore as quickly as possible. Pakistan needed to arrange his passport and complete the UK visa biometrics process before he could join the team in England.
It sounds like the plot of a cricket comedy. Instead, it ended with the youngster walking onto the field at Edgbaston and dismissing one of England’s greatest modern batters.
From the hills of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Joe Root
Razaullah's arrival in England was anything but a conventional international debut. He had played only a handful of first-class matches before being thrust into Pakistan's Test side amid a major overhaul of the squad. Pakistan brought in seven replacements after the second Test, with Razaullah among the newcomers.
