Mohammad Abbas completes 100 wickets for Hampshire County

Mohammad Abbas, the talented Pakistani fast bowler, was in outstanding form as he took nine wickets for Hampshire in the ongoing County Championship match against Nottinghamshire.

This was Pakistani pacer’s 42nd five-wicket haul in First Class cricket and 10th five-wicket haul in County cricket. It was an excellent display of swing bowling from the Pakistani quick, who finished with figures of 6/49 in 15.3 overs in the first innings.

Abbas continued his bowling form and picked up three wickets in the second innings, to finish with spectacular match figures of 9/116. He now has 100 first class wickets for Hampshire at an average of just 16.5.

Abbas, while talking to BBC Radio, expressed his sadness over not being picked up for Pakistan’s home Test series against England last year; however, the right-arm pacer was grinning with hope and said that his time should arrive sooner or later.

"I was a little bit sad when England went to Pakistan. I took 50 wickets in here; I took 20 wickets in four-five games in Pakistan, I took two fifers in Pakistan, and even after that, they [PCB] didn't pick me," Abbas said.

"I was a little sad, but this is part of life and cricket. These things are not in your hand. What you can do is work even harder, and if you perform well, then your time shall come. I will try my best, and I hope my time will also come," he concluded.

Last year in December, England's Test team travelled to Pakistan to play a three-test series under the captaincy of Ben Stokes. The decider went down to the wire, and England successfully took the series to their name, whitewashing the home side 3-0. This defeat erased all hopes for Pakistan to play World Test Championship Final.