Born in Lahore in Pakistan, Muhammad Abbas moved to New Zealand as a young boy when his father Azhar Abbas joined a club in Wellington. He started playing cricket very early and hit his first century at the age of 11. He went to King's College in Auckland, where former New Zealand spinner Dipak Patel coached him. Learning the skills of bowling from his father, he initially focused on his left arm pace but soon developed into a dangerous batter. In the 2018 season alone, he smashed seven centuries to show everyone his true potential.
The Abbas family settled back in Wellington in late 2022. Muhammad joined his father's old team Karori and quickly made his way into domestic cricket. He made his first class debut for Wellington against Otago in early 2023. His great performances earned him a full domestic contract by July of that year. Soon after, he was picked to play for New Zealand A against Australia A. This showed how fast he was rising through the ranks of New Zealand cricket as a genuine batting all rounder.
The year 2025 was a massive turning point for the young star. He made his ODI debut for New Zealand against Pakistan in March. In a dream start to his international career, he broke the world record for the fastest fifty on debut in an ODI. He scored a brilliant 52 runs from just 26 balls before getting caught on the boundary off the last ball of the innings. To make the day even more special, he took his first international wicket by dismissing the Pakistan captain. His amazing form also earned him his first central contract with New Zealand Cricket for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Muhammad Abbas is emerging as one of the most exciting prospects for Wellington and New Zealand. Still in the early 20s, he has already shown glimpses of his potential across formats at the domestic level. His ability to accelerate in the middle order, combined with his knack for chipping in with handy overs, adds a valuable all-round dimension to his game. While he is still developing, Abbas is widely regarded as a player for the future, and if he continues on this path, he could become a key figure for New Zealand in the years to come.
