Saqib Khan takes seven on debut as Sri Lanka lead by 12

Pakistan fast bowler Saqib Khan took seven wickets on his Test debut, finishing with 7-130 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 446 on the fourth day of the first Test in Rawalpindi, a first-innings lead of 12 runs over Pakistan's 434-9 declared.

Aaj News reported that Sri Lanka's total rested on Dhananjaya de Silva's 167 and Kusal Mendis's 119. Pakistan had declared its first innings at 434-9 on the second day, the outlet reported, with Saud Shakeel making 93, Tayyab Arif 57, Arafat Minhas 52, Mohammad Taha 51, Babar Azam 50 and Ghazi Ghouri 48.

BBC Urdu reported that Saqib is the fourth Pakistani bowler to take seven wickets in an innings on Test debut. His first Test wicket was the senior batsman Dinesh Chandimal, and he later dismissed Lahiru Udara among the seven.

The 31-year-old was one of four players handed Test caps for the Rawalpindi match, alongside Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha and Arafat Minhas.

Saqib came into the side after taking 47 wickets in nine matches for Karachi Blues in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26.

In a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board and quoted by BBC Urdu, Saqib said he spent the first three to four years of his career playing tape-ball cricket, with regular coaching and hard-ball opportunities coming later. He said a turning point was a question from his father about whether he wanted to play cricket or take a job, after which he joined a local academy in his area.

He credited his parents, sisters and elder brother for their support. "When my name came in the Pakistan team, my mother and father were crying a lot," BBC Urdu quoted him as saying in the PCB video.

Saqib said he knew some domestic matches would be decisive for his career and tried to perform in them to earn the selectors' confidence.

BBC Urdu reported that Pakistan's second innings was under way. Aaj News's report ended with Sri Lanka's dismissal and did not give the state of Pakistan's reply.

The hashtag "Dream Debut" trended on social media after the seven-wicket haul. BBC Urdu reported that one user wrote that dropped catches had kept him from eight wickets in his first match, and another advised that he be kept to Test cricket rather than played across all formats.