Who is Sajid Khan? The Pakistani star, who once sold mobile phones to make ends meet, is now wreaking havoc on England's batsmen

Pakistan witnessed a number of major changes after the heavy defeat in the first Test against England in Multan. Off-spinner Sajid Khan was brought in to give the hosts another spin option and made an immediate impact by taking seven wickets in the first innings.

Sajid Khan's performance saw him take crucial wickets of some of England's key batsmen, including Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Joe Root, before returning to clean up the tail. Although Sajid was somewhat unorthodox in his action, he was still effective, making excellent use of the aging pitch in Multan and celebrating every scalp he captured with fire and fighting spirit.

Sajid has often been in the Pakistan team and has eight Test matches under his belt since making his debut in 2021. His best performance came in December of the same year against Bangladesh, when he took eight wickets in an innings and twelve games in total.

He was something of a late bloomer in his professional cricket career, only making his first-class debut for Peshawar at the age of 23. For Sajid, who suffered a number of setbacks in his youth, achieving top sporting performance was not easy.

Losing his father at a young age meant that young Sajid had to pursue whatever jobs he could find, including grappling and batting for a little money here or there and selling cell phones, always with the intention of fulfilling his dream of playing professional sports , to finance.

After making it through the underage level, Sajid said he found it difficult to find his way into a Peshawar team that had loads of talent in front of it. He accepted a six-month visa for the United Arab Emirates and emigrated to Dubai, where he worked at the airport and played cricket on the side. He would return soon at his mother's behest. Sajid continues to thank his mother for the incredible support she has shown him throughout his journey.

Breakthrough into the spotlight

He would finally find his chance when he tested himself with Peshawar, and he wouldn't let that opportunity slip away again. He made connections within the team and even borrowed boots from his Peshawar teammate Imran Khan Sr. Sajid worked his way up from the second eleven to the main team and established himself at that level for the 2017 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Sajid made his debut in the other formats in the following years and once he came onto the scene, it didn't take long for him to play a role in Pakistan's plans. With a lack of top spin talent and the country looking for players who could make a difference, Sajid made his debut against South Africa in 2021.

Sajid's return to the Pakistan team was successful after he took part in the quiet tour of Australia earlier this year. A breakthrough performance helped Pakistan build a first innings lead in the second Test in Multan and the off-spinner hopes this is just the start of a long and fruitful spell with the team.