Pakistan talent thread- jaw dropping cricketers!!

[PlanetPakistan]

This thread is about unique cricketers that have played for Pakistan! The list includes but is NOT limited to

Shahid(bhai) Afridi
Saqlain Mushtaq
Saeed Ajmal
Abdul Qadir
Abdul Razzaq
M Amir
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Wasim Raja
Saeed Anwar
M Yousuf
Shoaib Akhtar
M Zahid

Some unbelievable talents in the last 30 years alone. Some really special skills in bowling such as reverse swing and doosra came from Pakistan. The art of leg spin was almost totally dead when Abdul Qadir started playing cricket but he took it amazing heights.

[PlanetPakistan]

Players like Shahid bhai and A Razzaq haven't achieved too much in international cricket(comparatively speaking) but their talent is so unique that it has really been beneficial for the game.

[PeterCS]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/iwcc2010/content/image/480835.html?object=361850

[Basil]

This thread is about unique cricketers that have played for Pakistan! The list includes but is NOT limited to

Shahid(bhai) Afridi
Saqlain Mushtaq
Saeed Ajmal
Abdul Qadir
Abdul Razzaq
M Amir
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Wasim Raja
Saeed Anwar
M Yousuf
Shoaib Akhtar
M Zahid

Some unbelievable talents in the last 30 years alone. Some really special skills in bowling such as reverse swing and doosra came from Pakistan. The art of leg spin was almost totally dead when Abdul Qadir started playing cricket but he took it amazing heights.

Couple of ball tamperers and a convicted criminal in there -oh yes, and a chucker

[The One]

the really brilliants ones IMO

wasim
waqar
shoaib
ajmal
amir

any team would kill to have these. the rest were passable through their careers. qadir was (and still is i guess) way over-rated. anwar would get into most teams today

[PeterCS]

Is there a political bias on this thread versus عمران خان نیازی?

(Imran Khan Niazi)

[lardbucket]

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis yes; the rest are garbage and/or cheats.

[PlanetPakistan]

the really brilliants ones IMO

wasim
waqar
shoaib
ajmal
amir

any team would kill to have these. the rest were passable through their careers. qadir was (and still is i guess) way over-rated. anwar would get into most teams today

The One, i am talking about talent...

Some one like Razzaq for example had the ability to bowl at 90 mph and was also a VERY destructive batsman. He seems to have a bad attitude towards the game(likes the blame game) which is probably why he hasn't been too successful.

Qadir on the other hand was known as a magician and people who saw him bowl were GREATLY entertained, some rate his as one of the greatest spinners of the game and everyone agrees that he was a stunning talent.

[PlanetPakistan]

Is there a political bias on this thread versus عمران خان نیازی?

(Imran Khan Niazi)

Originally Imran was an ordinary cricketer and was considered a "sifarishi" rather like Faisal Iqbal. He didn't become a force in cricket at least 6-7 years after his debut.

[lardbucket]

Imran might have been ordinary when he was 18-19.

[PlanetPakistan]

Imran might have been ordinary when he was 18-19.

He wasn't any good until the age of 25-26, more importantly he didn't show much talent either.

Compare that to Razzaq who was already a very fine cricketer at the age of 20!
Shahid bhai had scored the fastest century ever( by a mile) at the age of 11, Amir's talent at the age of 18 made even Micheal Holding cry(literally), Wasim Akram picked a 10 wickets haul in his 2nd test match(only his 3rd or 4th first calss game), Waqar was amazing at age 19-20. So in terms of raw talent Imran was probably behind all of these guys

[PeterCS]

That may be so - I'm also aware there were allegations that he instigated shady practices with the ball, not only in a county match of two (one bottle top use admitted!) - but also as Pak captain, which I thought must be the actual reason you hadn't nominated him in your list.

But if not, I find it staggering - jaw-dropping if you prefer - you omitted him.

He one of the best all-rounders of all time.

Unless you maintain doubts about the allegations of ball tampering also in Tests - or even then if you are considering personal talents alone? - he should be right at the top of your list.


Here are his Test stats:

362 wickets @ just under 23. ( 6 x 10 wkts in a match)

3807 runs @ just under 38. (6 centuries, 18 x 50)
.................................................................................................................

And here are some of the points raised in his Cricinfo profile (mostly by Martin Williamson):

Imran Khan is indisputably the greatest cricketer to emerge from Pakistan, and arguably the world's second-best allrounder after Garry Sobers. He took a mediocre side and transformed them into world-beaters, leading them to the World Cup title in 1992. (...) Thousands, if not millions, who had never dreamt of bowling fast on heartless baked mud suddenly wanted to emulate Imran and his lithe bounding run, his leap and his reverse-swinging yorker. He also made himself into an allrounder worth a place for his batting alone, and captained Pakistan as well as anyone, rounding off his career with the 1992 World Cup. (...) In his last 10 years of international cricket he played 51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He gave no quarter during some memorable battles with West Indies - Pakistan drew three series with them at a time when everybody else was being bounced out of sight - and he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, taking 10 for 77 with an imperious display in the decisive victory at Headingley.

[PlanetPakistan]

That may be so - I'm also aware there were allegations that he instigated shady practices with the ball, not only in a county match of two (one bottle top use admitted!) - but also as Pak captain, which I thought must be the actual reason you hadn't nominated him in your list.

But if not, I find it staggering - jaw-dropping if you prefer - you omitted him.

He one of the best all-rounders of all time.

Unless you maintain doubts about the allegations of ball tampering also in Tests - or even then if you are considering personal talents alone? - he should be right at the top of your list.


Here are his Test stats:

362 wickets @ just under 23. ( 6 x 10 wkts in a match)

3807 runs @ just under 38. (6 centuries, 18 x 50)
.................................................................................................................

And here are some of the points raised in his Cricinfo profile (mostly by Martin Williamson):

Imran Khan is indisputably the greatest cricketer to emerge from Pakistan, and arguably the world's second-best allrounder after Garry Sobers. He took a mediocre side and transformed them into world-beaters, leading them to the World Cup title in 1992. (...) Thousands, if not millions, who had never dreamt of bowling fast on heartless baked mud suddenly wanted to emulate Imran and his lithe bounding run, his leap and his reverse-swinging yorker. He also made himself into an allrounder worth a place for his batting alone, and captained Pakistan as well as anyone, rounding off his career with the 1992 World Cup. (...) In his last 10 years of international cricket he played 51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He gave no quarter during some memorable battles with West Indies - Pakistan drew three series with them at a time when everybody else was being bounced out of sight - and he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, taking 10 for 77 with an imperious display in the decisive victory at Headingley.

Very hard working and a confident person. There has probably never been a cricketer in Pakistan who has worked as hard as Imran.

[PlanetPakistan]

His attitude was also very positive, he was much much bigger than just a cricketer which has been quite clear in the last 20 years.

[PlanetPakistan]

Most Pakistani cricketers like A Razzaq and others are not very educated and have the inability to think through problems in life. These guys solely depend on their raw cricketing talent to help them get out of a tough situation on the field. Outside the field they don't handle things(people) too well and these problems end up infiltrating in to their game. In one of the interviews a few years ago A Razzaq admitted that he was been mentally "disturbed" during the 2003 world cup which didn't allow him to perform well.

Imran on the other hand was better equipped to handle these problems. Obviously he wasn't flawless but didn't let his problems(or women) get the better of him.

[taipan]

the really brilliants ones IMO

wasim
waqar
shoaib
ajmal
amir

any team would kill to have these. the rest were passable through their careers. qadir was (and still is i guess) way over-rated. anwar would get into most teams today

Yep two ball tamperers, two chuckers and a cheat. Great examples for the youth to look up to.

[PlanetPakistan]

Recently SA did something even better for the youth by making a chucker (Botha) the captain of the South African team. Now these young ones are going to win Nobel prizes in Physics.

[taipan]

Recently SA did something even better for the youth by making a chucker (Botha) the captain of the South African team. Now these young ones are going to win Nobel prizes in Physics.

Botha has been reported and twice undergone remedial treatment. He was banned from bowling the doosra as result. He now does not bowl it and is far less effective as a result.

I find your unceasing support of a blatant chucker a reflection of your own morality.

[PlanetPakistan]

...Ajmal has never been banned from bowling the doosra and that makes ME immoral

Botha on the other hand still chucks while bowling regular off break yet he was not just included in the team but also made the captain....

[PlanetPakistan]

The fastest bowler to ever play for Pakistan was not Shoaib Akhtar or Waqar Younis it was M Zahid. According to Shoaib himself he(Zahid) was SIGNIFICANTLY quicker, its very unfortunate that the back injury almost totally killed his career.

After Waqar and Zahid the little town of Vehari, Pakistan has now produced a bowler named Zia Ul Haq who will soon be playing for Pakistan. He is about 17-18 years old and can easily bowl at 140+ KPH.

[taipan]

The fastest bowler to ever play for Pakistan was not Shoaib Akhtar or Waqar Younis it was M Zahid. According to Shoaib himself he(Zahid) was SIGNIFICANTLY quicker, its very unfortunate that the back injury almost totally killed his career.

After Waqar and Zahid the little town of Vehari, Pakistan has now produced a bowler named Zia Ul Haq who will soon be playing for Pakistan. He is about 17-18 years old and can easily bowl at 140+ KPH.

And will be banned at 19 for match fixing and then you will come up,with the usual excuse that he is young, from a small village and didn't know better.

[PlanetPakistan]

Seems like you are already getting scared of Zia Ul Haq's ability to dictate terms...

[taipan]

Seems like you are already getting scared of Zia Ul Haq's ability to dictate terms...

Um no, have never been scared of any Pakistan cricketer. 140kph at 18 isn't overly impressive anyway.

[Brass Monkey]

...Ajmal has never been banned from bowling the doosra and that makes ME immoral

Botha on the other hand still chucks while bowling regular off break yet he was not just included in the team but also made the captain....

Really is quite stunning that you think one chucks and the other doesn't. Really quite astounding.

[PlanetPakistan]

Thread is being purposely derailed because of Zia ul Haq.

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