Veteran spinner Nauman Ali has inscribed his name into Pakistan’s cricket history, shattering a 77-year-old national record held by the legendary Fazal Mahmood during the ongoing Test match against South Africa in Lahore.

The 39-year-old’s 10-wicket haul in the match marked the third time he has achieved this feat in his career, making him only the second Pakistani bowler to take 10 or more wickets in a match three times within his first 20 Test appearances. Mahmood accomplished this milestone between 1952 and 1958.

In the Lahore Test, the left-arm spinner was instrumental, securing six wickets in the first innings and adding another four in the second to complete his remarkable match tally.

This latest achievement is one of several for the seasoned bowler. He also surpassed Abdul Qadir’s 37-year-old benchmark for the most wickets by a Pakistani bowler over a span of five consecutive Tests, amassing an impressive 46 wickets between his 16th and 20th matches. The previous record, held by Qadir since the 1987-88 season, stood at 44 wickets.

Furthermore, Nauman broke another long-standing record on the third day of the Test, eclipsing Iqbal Qasim’s 37-year-old record for the most five-wicket hauls by a Pakistani left-arm spinner. With nine such hauls, he now stands alone in this category.

His phenomenal performance solidifies his position as the most successful spinner in world cricket over the past 12 months, following dominant displays against the West Indies, where he claimed 6 and 10 wickets, and during the England series with hauls of 11 and 9 wickets.

To date, Nauman has claimed 93 wickets in just 20 Test matches at an outstanding average of 24.15, cementing his place as one of Pakistan’s premier bowlers.