International career
Saqib Mahmood was born on 25 February 1997. He is an English cricketer who plays for both England and Lancashire. He is known as a right-arm bowler. Saqib made his debut for England in a Twenty20 match in November 2019. Later, in March 2022, he played his first Test match for the national team.
Test Matches
- Debut: March 16-20, 2022, West Indies vs England at Bridgetown
- Last Match: March 24-27, 2022, West Indies vs England at St George's
One Day Internationals (ODIs)
- Debut: February 9, 2020, South Africa vs England at Johannesburg
- Last Match: March 1, 2025, England vs South Africa at Karachi
Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)
- Debut: November 3, 2019, New Zealand vs England at Wellington
- Last Match: January 31, 2025, India vs England at Pune
Career Highlights:
- September 2019: Mahmood was selected for England's Test and T20I squads for their series against New Zealand.
- November 3, 2019: He played his first T20I match for England against New Zealand.
- February 9, 2020: Mahmood made his ODI debut for England against South Africa.
- August 2021: Mahmood joined England's squad for the second Test against India after Stuart Broad was injured.
- February 2022: He was part of the squad for England's Test series against the West Indies and debuted on March 16, 2022.
- 2022-2023: Mahmood faced challenges due to injuries, including stress fractures in his lower back. This kept him out of cricket for a while, delaying his return to top-level play.
- November 2024: Mahmood was named Player of the Series during England's tour of the West Indies. He took nine wickets in five T20I matches, setting a new record for most wickets in powerplay overs for England in a T20I series.
- January 2025: Mahmood faced delays with his visa before traveling to India for a series against India. He was cleared just in time to join the team.
- January 31, 2025: Mahmood took three wickets in one over during the fourth T20I against India. He dismissed Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav, helping England to reduce India to 12/3. He became only the second bowler in T20I history, after Jerome Taylor of the West Indies, to take three wickets without conceding any runs in the same over.
Leagues Participation
Saqib Mahmood has played in many major T20 leagues. He was part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Mumbai Indians. Mahmood has also taken part in the Hundred with Southern Brave and played in the Vitality Blast with Lancashire since 2015. He played for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League from 2020 to 2022 and was with Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League for the 2021/22 season.
The Hundred
Saqib Mahmood signed a new three-year contract with Lancashire for white-ball cricket in October 2024. He played an important role for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred 2024 season. In the final, he took 3 wickets for 17 runs against Southern Brave. He dismissed Leus du Plooy, Kieron Pollard, and Laurie Evans in just seven balls. Mahmood was named Player of the Final for his strong performance.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2024
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Oval Invincibles
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Player of the Final, took 3/17 to help win the title
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Vitality Blast
Saqib Mahmood started his T20 career with Lancashire in 2015, helping the team win the T20 Blast that year. He also won the Cricketer of the Year award from the England Development Programme. In 2022, Mahmood signed a two-year contract extension with Lancashire. In October 2024, he signed a new three-year deal to play white-ball cricket for the team.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2015
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Lancashire
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Debut in T20; helped win T20 Blast; Cricketer of the Year award
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2016
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Lancashire
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Played in One-Day Cup; led England's attack in U-19 World Cup
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2022
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Lancashire
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Signed a two-year contract extension
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2024
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Lancashire
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Signed a three-year contract for white-ball cricket
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Pakistan Super League
Saqib Mahmood played for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League from 2020 to 2022. In 2020, he joined the team as a replacement for Liam Livingstone during the play-offs. On February 27, 2021, he took three wickets in a match where Peshawar Zalmi won against Islamabad United. In PSL 2021, he received the Best Player of the Match award after taking four wickets in one game. In 2022, he left the tournament early to prepare for England’s Test series against the West Indies.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2020
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Peshawar Zalmi
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Joined as a replacement for Liam Livingstone
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2021
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Peshawar Zalmi
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Took three wickets in a match against Islamabad United
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2021
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Peshawar Zalmi
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Won Best Player of the Match after taking four wickets
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2022
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Peshawar Zalmi
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Left PSL early for England’s Test series
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Big Bash League
Saqib Mahmood played for Sydney Thunder in the 2021/22 Big Bash League. In a match against Brisbane Heat, he took four wickets for 22 runs. Sydney Thunder won the game by 53 runs. Mahmood was named Player of the Match for his performance.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2021/22
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Sydney Thunder
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Took 4 wickets for 22 runs vs Brisbane Heat
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2021/22
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Sydney Thunder
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Named Player of the Match in the same game
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Domestic career
In April 2019, Saqib Mahmood took five wickets in two List A matches in a row during the Royal London One-Day Cup. In May 2021, he got his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, with 5/47 against Yorkshire in the County Championship.
Mahmood joined Oval Invincibles for The Hundred in 2022 but missed most of the season because of a back injury. In October 2024, he signed a three-year contract with Lancashire for white-ball cricket. That year, he helped Oval Invincibles win the title by taking 3/17 in the final against Southern Brave. His performance earned him the Player of the Final award.
Records and achievements
Saqib Mahmood set several records in domestic and international cricket. He played important matches and received awards.
- 2016: Took 13 wickets in six matches at the Under-19 World Cup, becoming the third-highest wicket-taker.
- 2019: Became the first Lancashire player to take five wickets in two List A matches in a row (Royal London One-Day Cup).
- 2024: Won Player of the Series in England’s T20I tour of the West Indies after taking nine wickets.
- 2024: Took eight wickets in the powerplay phase of a T20I series, breaking David Willey's record of seven.
- 2025: Joined the England squad for the ICC Champions Trophy.
One of two bowlers in men’s T20I history to take three wickets in a single over without conceding a run.
Personal life
Saqib Mahmood was born in Birmingham, England, to British Pakistani parents. He became a well-known cricketer and gained many fans.
Family
Mahmood’s family roots are in Attock, Punjab. There is no public information about his wife or children.
Finances
By 2025, his wealth is estimated between $2 million and $3 million (£1.5 million to £2.5 million).
Scandals
In 2019, he was denied a visa to India because of his Pakistani background. Some people called him a terrorist online. He later said they misunderstood his reasons for traveling. In 2021, England needed a new squad quickly due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Mahmood was among the first players added. In 2022, a left foot injury stopped him from taking a wicket in a match against the West Indies.
Fans
In February 2023, Mahmood returned after a long injury break. He took 3 wickets for 27 runs in 7.1 overs, helping England Lions beat Sri Lanka A. Fans were happy to see him back. His Instagram following reached 74,000.
