Razaullah flayed England, but he should have been playing for us

He should have been playing for Cleethorpes in the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League, but instead Razaullah has become the newest star on the international stage.

The 21-year-old all-rounder had signed for the North East Lincolnshire side for the 2026 season but was called up to a Pakistan training camp in May.

And on his Test debut against England at Edgbaston last week, he hit nine sixes, scoring 81 off 63 balls for his country.

Paul Hewstone, chairman of Cleethorpes Cricket Club, described Razaullah as an "exceptional talent", adding the player would have "certainly given the crowd at Chichester Road something to look at".

Hewstone said the club had signed him in April, but his arrival in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, was delayed after he was called up to the Pakistan Super League.

"Sadly, after that he was called into a national training camp, and at the end of May we had to decide it wasn't going to happen," he added.

At the time, Hewstone said the club had been looking for a young lad who "probably wanted a bit of a chance", and Razaullah fitted the bill perfectly.

"He had played only eight first-class games when he was recommended, and he had already scored a first-class hundred and taken five wickets," Hewstone said.

Asked if Razaullah was a star in the making, he replied: "He absolutely must be, to do what he has done.

"Getting Joe Root out on the fourth ball of your Test career and hitting Jofra Archer for two straight sixes over your head – he's got a huge future ahead of him."

Click here to read article