When 21-year-old all-rounder Arafat Minhas stepped to the crease during the One-Day International tri-nation series final against Sri Lanka, Pakistan was teetering at five wickets down with 125 runs required from 79 balls. Under the floodlights of Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, an expectant home crowd watched as Minhas partnered with Hasan Nawaz to steady the innings. Recovering from a wicketless bowling spell earlier in the match, Minhas soon turned the chase around. With Pakistan needing 39 runs from 27 balls, Sri Lanka bowler Dasun Shanaka delivered a length ball angled into the left-hander. Unfazed by the pressure, Minhas swung across the line and sent the ball soaring over midwicket for six, igniting the home supporters.
That defining shot sparked a flurry of boundaries as Minhas finished with an unbeaten 61 runs off 31 balls, guiding Pakistan to the trophy and claiming the player of the series award. He concluded the tournament with nine wickets and 149 runs, including two half-centuries. Commentators lauded the young cricketer, who remarked that he enjoyed the pressure of the final run chase and wanted to convince his teammates that the target was achievable.
Months prior, Minhas delivered a stellar all-round performance against England in Rawalpindi on October 10. After scoring 59 off 58 balls to lift Pakistan from 81-4 to a total of 302-9, he claimed six wickets for 40 runs, dismantling England’s batting order after a 91-run opening stand and securing an 87-run victory. Among his victims was England captain Harry Brook, who was bowled for five by a turning delivery. Expressing surprise at the youngster’s age, Brook admitted post-match that he was unaware Minhas was under 21. Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised the performance during the broadcast, noting that Mike Hesson had found a true all-rounder in Minhas following a half-century, six wickets, and a run out.
The feat made Minhas only the third Pakistani player to score a half-century and take at least five wickets in a men’s ODI, following Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq. Earlier, on his ODI debut against Australia in May, Minhas took 5-32 to become the first Pakistani to claim a five-wicket haul on debut while also earning player of the series honors. Reflecting on his role, Minhas stated in an interview that he prefers not to be labeled exclusively as a batting or bowling all-rounder, choosing instead to be viewed as a complete all-rounder.
Minhas’s journey began in Multan under the guidance of his father, Kashif, a former under-19 player for his hometown team whose own ambitions were cut short when his father required him to take over the family car showroom business. Recognizing natural talent when watching his young sons play with toy eggs and plastic balls, Kashif purchased full cricket kits and directed Arafat toward left-arm spin at age eight, shifting him away from fast bowling. When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened training in 2020, Kashif built a rooftop practice facility complete with a net, mat pitch, and floodlights so practice could continue uninterrupted. Minhas subsequently advanced through the under-16 and under-19 ranks, featuring prominently when Pakistan reached the ICC Under-19 World Cup semifinals in 2024.
Cricket talent runs deep in the family. Minhas’s younger brother, Sameer, a prodigious right-handed opening batter who scored 405 runs in seven matches during his debut first-class season, was recently named to Pakistan’s Test squad for a two-match series against Sri Lanka. Their youngest brother, Abdullah, also plays as a left-handed batter and leg-spinner. Kashif’s ultimate ambition is to see all three brothers play together in the Pakistan playing XI to win an international trophy, fulfilling the dream he was forced to abandon decades ago.
