LONDON, England: Pakistan cricket legend Zaheer Abbas has recalled the remarkable career journey that took him from Sialkot to the top of English county cricket, revealing how competition with some of the game’s greatest batsmen helped drive him to score century after century.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Abbas said he would begin each day of the English county season by reading the newspaper over breakfast and checking the previous day’s scorecards.
He particularly wanted to know how Geoffrey Boycott, Barry Richards and Viv Richards had performed, as the four batsmen regularly competed to score hundreds.
“If they scored a hundred, I had to score a hundred.”
From gravestones as stumps in Sialkot to Gloucestershire stardom, Zaheer Abbas tells @timwig how rivalries with Boycott and the two Richards fuelled his relentless batting feats 👇https://t.co/DMz6H04YKb pic.twitter.com/LaekYXW3lR
— Telegraph Cricket (@TeleCricket) September 4, 2026
“There was a competition between us,” Abbas told The Daily Telegraph, recalling how the performances of the other three batsmen motivated him to produce big scores himself.
Zaheer Abbas and his Gloucestershire legacy
Abbas spent 14 seasons with Gloucestershire between 1972 and 1985, scoring 49 centuries in 206 first-class matches and averaging 49.8.
The Pakistan batsman eventually accumulated 108 first-class centuries, becoming the first and only Asian batsman to reach the landmark. His tally remains 27 ahead of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, who each finished with 81 first-class hundreds.
#OnThisDay in 1974, Zaheer Abbas struck his second double century in Tests. His 240 off 410 balls with 22 fours helped Pakistan score 600 in the first innings against England at the Oval.#AsianBradman pic.twitter.com/0M88gROlZH
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 23, 2020
His elegant strokeplay, especially through the off side and with his trademark flicks, earned him the nickname “Asian Bradman.”
Abbas was also renowned for converting centuries into massive scores. Eight of his 12 Test hundreds reached at least 150, while four became double centuries.
Read Also: Pakistan’s Greatest Test Performers on English Soil
The 274 Against England that changed everything
Among his many achievements, his 274 against England at Edgbaston in 1971 remains one of the defining innings of his career.
Abbas was only 23 and playing his second Test when he walked to the crease. Initially, he simply wanted to score 50 against England. Instead, he produced a monumental innings that established him as an international star.
#OnThisDay in 1971, Zaheer Abbas slammed 274 (467) against England at Edgbaston, in only his second Test 👏
The majestic innings (including 38 fours) announced the arrival of Zaheer as a mighty batting force 🌟
Scorecard: https://t.co/BzDVBw8IWB pic.twitter.com/GJ2SSpty7X
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) June 4, 2022
He told The Daily Telegraph that he was furious after missing the opportunity to score a triple century, having been dismissed while attempting a sweep against Derek Underwood. The disappointment was so strong that he rarely played the shot again.
The innings also opened the door to his long association with English county cricket. While he was still batting in the Test, Gloucestershire officials contacted him about joining the county.
In four separate first-class matches Zaheer Abbas made a double century and a century, and finished all eight of those innings not out. Nobody else in the history of the game has managed it once. Sunil Gavaskar wrote a book about the cricketers he idolised, and Zaheer Abbas is in… pic.twitter.com/EMJg2Mv6Qt
— Caught At Silly Point (@atsillypoint) September 1, 2026
From PIA office to professional cricket
Before becoming a full-time professional cricketer in England, Abbas had balanced cricket with his job as a general manager at Pakistan International Airlines.
He would work until around 3pm before heading to Karachi’s National Stadium for training.
His move to Gloucestershire transformed his career, placing him in the middle of what he describes as the golden era of county cricket, when many teams featured several international stars.
South African players were particularly prominent because their country was not playing Test cricket at the time, while Pakistani cricketers also spent significant periods in county cricket because Pakistan played relatively few Tests.
Fifty five years on from his 274 in the Edgbaston Test Zaheer Abbas tells his story in the latest quality title from Fairfield Books @CricketWebNet @FairfieldBooks_ @NightwatchmanXI https://t.co/s8wlQQtOrv pic.twitter.com/77ejDINhr9
— Fred Fertang (@FertangFre62008) September 6, 2026
Zaheer Abbas and Kerry Packer’s rebel cricket
In 1977, Abbas became one of the prominent international players recruited by Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer for World Series Cricket.
According to his account to The Daily Telegraph, Packer personally approached him while Abbas was playing for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Lord’s.
Abbas said he accepted the invitation because he wanted to play alongside the world’s greatest cricketers and regarded Packer’s interest as recognition of his standing in the game.
A lasting bond with England
Abbas’s relationship with England has continued decades after his playing career ended. He regularly returns to Gloucestershire and spends part of the year in London before returning to Pakistan.
He recently rang the five-minute bell ahead of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s, underlining his enduring connection with English cricket.
✅ First Asian cricketer to score 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ first-class 💯s
✅ An ODI trailblazer 🔥🗣️ “I’m very proud of the honour ICC have given to me. … I really worked very hard to get all this.”
🎥 Earlier today, Pakistan legend Zaheer Abbas was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame 🙌 pic.twitter.com/gwBb9i4CFX
— ICC (@ICC) August 23, 2020
A former president of the International Cricket Council, Abbas remains deeply interested in Pakistan cricket. While he does not want to join those criticising the current Pakistan side, he expressed disappointment that English supporters have not always been given the competitive cricket they expect.
“Lots of people come here,” Abbas told The Daily Telegraph, referring to spectators at Lord’s. “They want to see competition.”
Congratulations to Legendary Zaheer Abbas being honoured in PCB Hall of fame list. Sir u have inspired generations by playing classic & dominating cricket. Well deserved 👏🏼👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/gTNHW1xONT
— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) March 12, 2022
For Abbas, whose own career was shaped by competition with the world’s finest batsmen, that remains one of the essential ingredients of great cricket.
