From the Archives
The second Test between Pakistan and New Zealand at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on November 28, 1996, had several events that made it a story for headlines. There was a delay due to poor light. There was a delay due to too much light. There were on-field clashes and inevitable fines that come with them. There were brilliant performances both with the bat and the ball. However, none of the other events in this happening game topped the reason that delayed the start of the game.
The play began twenty minutes late on the first day, and the reason was that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had forgotten to provide the balls. Yes… no match balls in an international Test. The officials literally had to buy one from a local sports shop before the game could start.
November 28, 1996: Mohammad Zahid’s dream debut
Luckily for the PCB, some on-field performances took the limelight away from their fumble. None of them was more sensational than the performance of 20-year-old Mohammad Zahid. Zahid, who was debuting in this Test, announced himself with raw pace and remarkable control. In the absence of senior pacers like Waqar Younis, who strained his side in the first game, the debutant pacer led the relatively young attack composed of Mohammad Akram and Shahid Nazir.
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In New Zealand’s first innings, Zahid tore through the batting order to claim 4/64. He joined forces with Mushtaq Ahmed, who grabbed six wickets for 86 runs and halted the visitors for a first-innings lead of 249. In response, Pakistan posted 430 runs, thanks to centuries by Saeed Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed and a hard-fought 78-run knock by Saleem Malik.
Levelling the series
And as if that wasn’t enough, Zahid returned even more destructive in the second innings, taking a brilliant 7/66. New Zealand collapsed from 82/1 to 168, with only opener Bryan Young (61) resisting as his teammates kept falling like a house of cards. The collapse saved Pakistan from batting again and handed them a victory by an innings and 13 runs, just an hour after lunch on the fourth day. Pakistan, trailing 0–1 in the series, met New Zealand at Rawalpindi on 28 November
The second-innings outing gave Zahid extraordinary match figures of 11/130, one of the finest debut performances in Test history, making him the first Pakistani to take ten wickets on debut. These remain the best debut match figures by any Pakistan bowler — a record that still stands today.
He was rightly awarded Man of the Match on debut for his stunning impact, while Saeed Anwar and Stephen Fleming got the Player of the Series award for their brilliance with the bat.
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