Pakistan debutant Razaullah was the name on everyone’s lips at the end of the Edgbaston Test, thanks to his blistering innings of 81 runs off 63 balls in the second innings of the third and final game in the three-Test series. Razaullah was one of the seven players that Pakistan management flew in to England in an extraordinary overhaul of the team after they lost the Lord’s Test.

After Pakistan lost the final Test by eight wickets, Pakistan captain Babar Azam admitted that he did not know much about the 21-year-old Razaullah before the game started.

“To be honest, I didn’t know too much about him (before he arrived). But I had heard things about his batting because he came in as an opener and he scored 100 (in first class cricket). So I heard about that innings,” Azam said at the post-match conversation.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

Babar’s England counterpart Joe Root also said that they were caught unawares by the newcomer Razaullah.

“We didn’t have a lot to work with. He played some wonderful shots. Made it quite difficult to set fields to. He struck the ball nicely. I don’t know how he’s not pulled a side really. He’s swinging that hard. But fair play. He played nicely and made it difficult for us,” Root said.

Pakistan’s Razaullah on day four of the third Test in Birmingham. (PA via AP)

Azam was also asked about Razaullah innings of 81 runs off 63 where he hit nine sixes, eight of which came against pacers. Babar said: “We all enjoyed it. I think everyone enjoyed his innings and his bowling too. He’s a very good talent. It’s good for us that he’s playing like this and he’s given us confidence.”

All 8 sixes of Razaullah Today pic.twitter.com/3rsxElqoxw

— Jered William Jr. (@Jeredwilliam) September 11, 2026

Asked what had gone wrong with the Pakistan team that it had a taken a 21-year-old debutant to inject some inspiration in the team, Babar said: “Before we came to England, we were thinking about different things. Then we decided our team. Unfortunately we had a few changes after losing two matches. When we came to England, it was very difficult for the batsmen, the first two pitches were very difficult. After we made a few changes, we were just trying to do our best in the third match.

Story continues below this ad

“We need to sit down and admit our mistakes, and then work out our best XI … different series you need players for the conditions, but the new boys have done well. Before we focused on red ball and then focused on white ball, the PCB and the stakeholders are trying to do a lot of red ball cricket [in Pakistan] … It’s good for us for the rest of cricket because when we are playing a lot of red ball cricket you learn a lot of good things. A few boys are staying here playing county cricket, so it’s good for us,” Babar added.