Pakistan youngster Naseem Shah claimed a Test hat-trick during the ongoing Rawalpindi Test against Bangladesh and became the youngest bowler to claim a Test hat-trick.
Sunday (9th February) was the third day of the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh at Rawalpindi. In the evening session of the day, The 16-year-old Naseem Shah created the history in Test cricket.
It was the 41st over of Bangladesh’s second innings when Naseem Shah claimed the hat-trick. The right-arm fast bowler got three consecutive wickets in the last three balls of that over. At that moment, he dismissed the set batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto (38) and the new batsmen Taijul Islam (0) and Mahmudullah (0). While he trapped both Najmul and Taijul for the lbw, Mahmudullah was caught out at the first slip as Haris Sohail took the low catch superbly. Batting on 124/2, suddenly the visitors were struggling on 124/5 due to that incredible hat-trick.
Three Pakistan bowlers claimed Test hat-trick before Naseem Shah
Naseem Shah became the fourth Pakistan bowler to claim a Test hat-trick. The previous three Pakistan bowlers in this Test hat-trick list were Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq (June 2000) and Mohammad Sami (March 2002). Among them, only Akram managed to claim two Test hat-tricks and that too in back-to-back Test matches (both in March 1999). All those four Test hat-tricks came against Sri Lanka.
Naseem Shah broke the record of Alok Kapali
On the other hand, at the age of 16 years and 359 days, Naseem Shah registered that Test hat-trick. With that achievement, he became the youngest Test bowler to claim a hat-trick. The previous record-holder was Bangladesh leg-spinner Alok Kapali. At the age of 19-year-old, Kapali registered his Test hat-trick against Pakistan at Peshawar in 2003.
AND ITS A HATRICK !!!!!! Naseem Shah you beauty ??? youngest bowler ever in the history of cricket to take a hatrick & what a moment to watch this live!!!! #PAKvsBAN pic.twitter.com/V4nhPCCx4k
— Asim Azhar (@AsimAzharr) February 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/Jhanzaib_S/status/1226479611510476807?s=20
After Bangladesh were bowled out for 233 runs in the first innings, Pakistan managed to score 445 runs in their first innings and took the lead of 212 runs. At the stumps on day three, Bangladesh were struggling on 126/6.
Playing only fourth Test, Naseem Shah had the bowling figures of 16-0-61-1 in the first innings. At the stumps on day three, his bowling figures during the visitors’ second innings were 8.2-2-26-4. In his next over of the Test hat-trick, Shah failed to complete his over, due to feeling pain on his left ribcage.