By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
Bangalore : All rounder Yasir Arafat, who has a record of taking five wickets in six balls in a first class match, Saturday became the 189th Pakistani Test player when he was included in the XI for the third and final Test against India here.
The 25-year-old cricketer from Rawalpindi, who has played seven One-Day Internationals (ODI) and four Twenty20 Internationals, was called as a replacement for injured fast bowler Umar Gul and joined the team on the first day of the second Test in Kolkata.
Some of the Indians in the present team have played against Arafat in three ODIs on their last year’s tour to Pakistan. Both Arafat and stand-in captain Younis Khan made their ODI debut together against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2000.
Arafat has an ability to swing the ball both ways, mostly away from right-handers. He is equally adept with the bat and has the highest score of 27.
Arafat had a good stint with English county club Kent this summer on the basis of which he was for the first time handed the central contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He also has had a stint with Sussex and played league matches in Scotland.
Arafat made his first-class debut in 1997-98 and has so far played 124 matches for Rawalpindi, Khan Research Labs, Pakistan Reserves and Redco Pakistan Ltd. besides other teams.
In 2004, Arafat became only the fourth bowler in the first-class history to capture five wickets, including a hat trick spread over two innings, in six balls while representing Rawalpindi. Then only 22, he helped dismiss national champions Faisalabad for 64 in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match. He finished the match with nine wickets.
Only Bill Copson of Derbyshire in 1937, William Henderson of Northern Transvaal in 1938 and Pat Pocock of Surrey in 1972 have taken five wickets in six balls.