He came from a sporting family; his father, Syed Iftikhar Hussain, was a former first-class cricketer. He represented Karachi as well as Pak Crescent Club, famous for producing Zaheer Abbas. Abbas is eldest of three brothers. Raheel Abbas, his younger brother, is also former professional first-class cricketer. Sohail has often said that his inspiration came from his uncle, Safdar Abbas, a left-winger who represented Pakistan in the from 1973 to 1981 where he scored against Argentina during the 1973 World Cup as a 16-year-old boy. Abbas is keen to emphasize the part played by Safdar, who, Abbas says, inspired him as a youngster.