ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s growing emphasis on all-round cricketers received another timely reminder on Tuesday as Arafat Minhas produced a performance of rare value in the One-day International tri-series match against England.
Arafat, still in the early stages of his international career, helped Pakistan recover from difficult positions with both bat and ball. The Green Shirts had slipped to 81-4 and later 133-5 before Arafat and Hasan Nawaz rebuilt the innings with a composed partnership.
Hasan’s free-flowing 79 off 74 balls proved central to Pakistan’s recovery, while Arafat complemented him before accelerating late in the innings to finish with 59 off 58 deliveries. His innings included three consecutive boundaries off Sonny Baker, giving Pakistan vital momentum at the back end.
“When I went out to bat, Hasan was batting with me and we had discussed that we need to build a partnership and we will go deep,” Arafat said in a post-match broadcast interview.
He said the plan was to “reach 200 in 40 overs and then assess the situation for the last ten overs,” adding that Hasan’s intent ensured there was no pressure during the partnership. “This calculation is very important in a 50-over match,” he said.
Arafat’s contribution did not end with the bat. With the ball, the left-arm spinner dismissed opener Tom Banton after his brisk 57 and later removed Harry Brook with a delivery he described as special. His wickets triggered an exceptional six-wicket haul that helped Pakistan move convincingly towards victory.
“As a left-arm spinner, when I bowled Harry Brook, that was very important,” Arafat said. “And it will remain a memorable delivery, because it is a dream ball for a left-arm spinner to beat the batsman and hit the stumps.”
His display carried added significance for Pakistan as the side begins building towards next year’s 50-over World Cup. Pakistan endured a disappointing campaign in India last time, where their spin department struggled despite favourable conditions. The campaign also included Pakistan’s first-ever ODI defeat to Afghanistan.
In that tournament, Usama Mir took four wickets in four matches, while Shadab Khan managed two in three. Although upcoming challenges in Africa are expected to present different conditions, Arafat’s emergence offers Pakistan an encouraging option in an area that had previously caused concern.
Speaking in a video posted on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s social media handles, Arafat said communication among bowlers had played an important role. “Saim had bowled before me, and he told me that the ball was holding a little bit,” he said.
Arafat’s early record is already notable. He took a five-wicket haul on debut against Australia and has now followed it with a half-century and six wickets against England in only his fifth ODI. For Pakistan, that combination had previously been achieved only by Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi.
The performance has further lifted expectations around Arafat, with Waqar Younis also asking whether such early success would raise the standards expected of him in the future.
