Pakistan's Ali Usman Becomes 1st Player In History To Smash This Record In England

Ali Usman for Pakistan [Source: AFP]

Pakistan spinner Ali Usman has now made a massive record for himself as well as for the whole country after he scalped heroic figures at Headingley on August 20. 

The 33-year-old all-rounder from Pakistan created history while dismantling the middle and lower-middle order of England's batting after Pakistan posted a meagre total of 171 runs on the board before being bowled out.

Ali Usman creates history for Pakistan in England

Ali Usman incidentally bowled 23 overs on his first appearance on English soil and successfully scalped five wickets in the process while giving away 92 runs, including one maiden over.

[Table for Pakistan left-arm spinners to have best bowling figures in England]

He bowled at an economy rate of 4.0 and averaged 18.4 runs per wicket to top the list of left-arm spinners from Pakistan in England. Ali's 5 for 92 now tops the chart in a list featuring names like Pervez Sajjad, Iqbal Qasim, Shujauddin, and Fawad Alam, as he surpassed legendary players to become the first Pakistan left-arm spinner to take a five-wicket haul on English soil and have the best bowling figures.

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How Usman dominated England with his fifer 

Usman first dismissed Jordan Cox in the 45th over, leaving England struggling at 198 for 3. His next wicket was Daniel Lawrence, whom he dismissed in the 70th over to reduce England to 324 for 5. 

Later, he also bagged the crucial wicket of Harry Brook before cleaning up the tail with the dismissals of Gus Atkinson and Ollie Robinson to complete his five-wicket haul. 

He was one of the most impactful bowlers in the team. Despite his multiple wickets, Khurram Shehzad was the most expensive bowler, while Ali Usman was the second-most economical bowler in the Pakistan attack, with Mohammad Abbas leading the way with an economy rate of 2.90 from his 21-over spell.

Usman dominated a pitch heaven with his spin

It is also interesting to see how Usman's bowling has shaken the England batting lineup, given that the Leeds pitch was almost pace-friendly in nature on Day 1 itself. 

After rain interrupted both the first and second days, the pitch deteriorated, which should have further reduced the assistance available to spinners. In fact, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue combined to take all 10 Pakistan wickets, which clearly highlights how pace-dominated the conditions were. 

However, Usman's five-wicket haul raises the question of how, despite the lack of turn and rain-affected play, he managed to extract multiple wickets under pressure.

What compelled Pakistan selectors to look in Ali Usman's direction?

Ali Usman is a Pakistani cricketer born in Vehari who has played for teams such as Multan Region, Pakistan Customs, Southern Punjab Pakistan, and State Bank of Pakistan. Moreover, he has extensive first-class experience, having taken 198 wickets in 89 innings while bowling at an average of 28.72. 

His breakthrough with the national team came during the West Indies series in July this year, where he impressed with a four-wicket haul in the second innings of the second Test against the West Indies. 

He earned his chance after an impressive performance in the 2025 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he scalped 48 wickets in 14 innings, while also showing consistent performances in the 2023 edition.

Nevertheless, Ali Usman might be the new answer to Pakistan's left-arm spin options in Test cricket. Although he has a lot to lose in terms of his age prospects, the late bloomer might have just unlocked a new dimension in Pakistan's spin department alongside Sajid Khan in the Test series.

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