Pakistan's newest cricket star is a former leather factory worker
26/10/2018
Needless to say, the fast bowler has taken to the spotlight extremely well. In his first ten matches for his country he took 59 wickets, an achievement that gives him the fourth best bowling average in history. This statistic refers to the number of runs conceded for each wicket taken. Mr Abbas’ figure is 15.64 runs per wicket. The only three players ahead of him played as far back as the 19th century.
His newfound stardom, as well as international honours he also has a contract to play for UK-based domestic outfit Leicestershire, is a far cry from his humble beginnings.
Recent Pakistani media reports have revealed that in his younger years he spent time working at the Aisha Leather Factory in his home village of Jethi, located near to Sialkot. He was the eldest of seven siblings and so had a responsibility as a breadwinner for his family.
One report heard from a childhood friend of Mr Abbas, who said the young man was often forced to come up with creative reasons to be excused for a few hours from his duties at the leather factory in order to play in local tournaments.
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