He took ten wickets in a Test on four occasions; those against India, England and Australia coming in Pakistan's maiden victories over those teams.

Fazal's most memorable performance came on the 1954 tour of England, when he had a leading role as Pakistan won at The Oval to square the series.

He retired from Test and first-class cricket following the 1962 tour of England when he was called up to replace injured opening bowlers.

[2] Before settling for a career in academia, and despite passing the competitive Indian Civil Service exams, Ghulam Hussain joined the independence movement under the Islamic scholar and revolutionary activist Ubaidullah Sindhi, hoping to throw the British colonialists from a base in Afghanistan through an armed struggle.

[2][4] Fazal made the college first team in his second year and at the age of 15 took 5/13[5] in an inter-college final, a record for the tournament.

In a Ranji Trophy match against Southern Punjab he batted at number eleven scoring 38 not out and taking three wickets.

[2] Playing in the Zonal Quadrangular Tournament, a competition which acted as a trial for the tour, he opened the bowling for North Zone with Amarnath and took match figures of 9/83.

[8] Indian captain Nawab of Pataudi wanted Fazal in the squad but he was considered too young by the other selectors.

Playing for North Zone he scored exactly 100 not out from number eight, sharing in a 207-run seventh wicket partnership with Gogumal Kishenchand.

[14] The match was the first time that Fazal opened the bowling alongside Khan Mohammad, his future new ball partner for Pakistan.

[4] The fifth and final match of the tour was against a Pakistan side on a coir matting wicket at Karachi,[2] Fazal exploited the surface to return figures of 6/40 in the MCC's first innings.

[16] The hosts went on to win by four wickets, a victory that played a large part in Pakistan gaining Test status.

Fazal made his Test debut in the first match at Delhi, taking 2/92 in India's first innings, his maiden wicket was Indian captain, Lala Amarnath.

[23] A Pakistan Eaglets side, containing Fazal, was sent to England in 1953 in preparation for the following year's tour of the country.

[4] Fazal was made vice-captain to Abdul Kardar for the 1954 tour which would prove a success for both player and team on their first series outside the subcontinent.

[26] The first Test at Lord's was heavily affected by rain and drawn, batting was difficult in the play that was possible and Pakistan were dismissed for 87 in their first innings.

In England's first innings he bowled throughout taking 6/53 from 30 overs, Wisden wrote the figures 'would have been much better but for dropped catches'.

Despite the early loss of Len Hutton, for the second time in the match caught behind off the bowling of Fazal, at 109/2 England looked well set on the fourth evening.

[29] Later in 1955 New Zealand made their maiden tour to the country, Pakistan completed a first Test series victory, winning 2–0.

[41] Wisden described his technique: "maintaining an accurate length and varying his swing with a mixture of leg-cutters and breakbacks".

[49] Pakistan achieved a consolation victory in the fifth Test, Fazal taking 6/83 in the first innings including the wicket of Conrad Hunte with the first ball of the match.

[57] He missed the second Test at his home city of Lahore, wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed taking over captaincy duties in a match Australia won by seven wickets.

Just as seven years previous, the series contained dour and defensive cricket as both sides appeared intent on avoiding defeat rather than attempting to win.

In that match Fazal took 5/26 off 25.3 overs, but he failed to take a wicket in India's second innings as they batted out time comfortably.

[39] Fazal's captaincy received severe criticism with accusations of favouritism, and following the final Test he was sacked as captain.

[63] Fazal wasn't initially selected by Pakistan for the home series against England but returned for the final Test.

[29] He wasn't included in the 1962 tour squad to England but was called up as a replacement when fast bowlers Mahmood Hussain and Mohammad Farooq broke down injured.

[63] Due to his good looks, he had many movie offers : during Pakistan's first tour of India, in 1952–1953, famous director Mehboob Khan offered him a second-lead role in the movie Aan (1952), while well-known American director George Cukor, while on a visit in Lahore and meeting Mahmood, said he would have preferred him as the lead role in his 1956-movie Bhowani Junction, instead of Stewart Granger.

[69] Quitting cricket, he also became more religious in his outlook, and notably published, in 1970, the book Urge To Faith, where he outlines his vision of applying Islamic principles to the economy and social system of Pakistan, and which has been described by journalist Peter Oborne as "a meditation on religion, philosophy and politics.

His friend and former teammate Hanif Mohammad described Fazal as a "great human being" and "the doyen of Pakistan bowlers in the country's formative years".