Sufiyan Muqeem: Difference between revisions

Pakistani cricketer (born 1999)

Sufiyan Muqeem also spelled Sufyan Moqim (born 15 November 1999) is a Pakistani cricketer who plays as a left-arm wrist spin bowler for Pakistan national team. He has also played for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League and Dolphins in domestic cricket.^[2][3]

Sufiyan Muqeem hails from the Baithak Balouch town located in Pallandri Tehsil, the administrative capital of Sudhanoti District of Azad Kashmir, where he played with tape ball but due do lack of facilities he later moved to Rawalpindi, playing club cricket and later first-class cricket.^[4] He has played for the Sabih Azhar Cricket Academy.

In July 2023, Muqeem finished with figures of 3 for 66 in his ten overs in the final as Pakistan A defeated India A to win the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.^[5]

On 3 October 2023, he made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for Pakistan against Hong Kong taking two wickets at the Asian Games.^[6]

In January 2024, Muqeem underwent an operation on his left knee.^[7]

In October 2024, he played as part of the Pakistan Shaheens at the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup who were defeated in the semi-final by Sri Lanka A.^[8][9]

In December 2024, during T20 International (T20I) series against Zimbabwe, Sufiyan Muqeem delivered a record-equalling bowling performance, taking 5 wickets while conceding just 3 runs in a match. This remarkable feat matched the world record for the “fewest runs conceded for a men’s T20I five-wicket haul.” His spell was instrumental in his team’s victory and showcased his potential in international cricket.^[10]

Muqeem is a left‑arm wrist spinner, a rare bowling style in modern cricket, making him the first of any note for Pakistan. His bowling style has been noted for its unusual release angle, being distinct from his contemporaries and fellow left-arm wrist spinners, Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa), Kuldeep Yadav (India), and Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan): Shamsi and Yadav use more classical wrist-spin actions, with a languid delivery and release between 11 and 12 o’clock, imparting more air and spin. Ahmad, by contrast, releases from beyond 12 o’clock, creating an awkward angle but sometimes offering batters a clearer line of attack. Muqeem’s action lies between these extremes, the closest to 12 o’clock among the four. This near-vertical release gives his deliveries a steeper, downward trajectory, making lofted shots and sweeps harder to execute. Unlike traditional wrist-spinners, he does not rely on flight, aligning with modern T20 trends where flatter, harder-to-hit deliveries are prized.^[11]