Who Is Razaullah? Pakistan’s Unheralded 21-Year-Old Who Turned His Test Debut Into An England Nightmare

Razaullah was barely known outside Pakistan’s domestic cricket circles when he walked into the Edgbaston dressing room for his Test debut. Three days later, the 21-year-old fast bowler had become one of the stories of Pakistan’s troubled England tour.

His debut has been unusual even by Pakistan’s standards. Razaullah was one of several players drafted into the squad after the Pakistan Cricket Board made sweeping changes following heavy defeats at Headingley and Lord’s. He had only eight first-class matches behind him before being handed his Test cap.

And yet, by the end of the third day at Edgbaston, he had taken four wickets and smashed 81 runs off 63 balls, hitting nine sixes. His late assault helped Pakistan turn what looked like an inevitable three-day defeat into a contest that reached a fourth day.

From Mardan To Pakistan's Test team

Razaullah was born in Mardan on April 5, 2005. A right-arm medium-fast bowler, he first appeared in Pakistan's cricket pathway through Mardan's district Under-19 competition in 2023 before progressing through regional cricket with Abbottabad.

His rise gathered pace in domestic cricket. He played for Sahir Associates in the 2024-25 President's Trophy Grade II competition and helped the side win the tournament. He subsequently played for Peshawar in the 2025-26 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, where he also showed that he was more than just a bowler, scoring a century and a fifty in one match.

The bigger signal came with the ball. In the 2025-26 President's Trophy, Razaullah claimed 30 wickets in five matches for Sahir Associates. That form earned him a place with PSL newcomers Rawalpindiz, while his work at the National Cricket Academy caught the attention of PCB high-performance director Aaqib Javed. He was subsequently invited to a fast-bowling camp in late August.

The Debut That Changed Everything

Razaullah's Test debut could hardly have begun better. His first Test wicket was England captain Joe Root, and he eventually finished England's first innings with 4-148 from 23 overs as the hosts made 453. But the ball was only half the story.

Pakistan had been bowled out for 133 in their first innings and, even after Shan Masood's 95, Babar Azam's 76 and Azan Awais' 59, they were 318-8 in the second innings. Then Razaullah walked in.

What followed was the sort of innings that can alter how a young cricketer is perceived overnight. Batting at No. 9, he raced to fifty from 43 balls and finished with 81 off 63, including four fours and nine sixes.

The nine sixes put Razaullah into some rare company as he equalled the record of most sixes in an innings in England. Former England captain Ben Stokes had also hit nine sixes at Lord's against Australia during the 2023 Ashes series.

He also equalled Tim Southee's record for the most sixes by a batter on Test debut and also matched the record for most sixes in a Test innings in England. His 43-ball fifty was also the fastest half-century by a Pakistani batter on Test debut.

Razaullah insisted afterwards that the assault was calculated rather than reckless.

"I was being selective with which balls to slog, but they all seemed within range. I wanted to take it as deep as possible. I wasn't scared of pace. I wanted to punish the balls from Archer that landed on a hard length. There's nothing to be scared of when you're playing for your country. I was just enjoying myself," he said in the post-day intereaction.

Alongside Mohammad Abbas, who made 42, he added 121 for the ninth wicket, taking Pakistan to 449 and leaving England a target of 130.

For a player who arrived in the Test squad almost as an unknown, it was an introduction few could have scripted. Razaullah's international career is only beginning, but at Edgbaston, Pakistan may have discovered something it badly needed.