- Saqlain Mushtaq
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Saqlain Mushtaq Personal information Full name Saqlain Mushtaq Born 29 December 1976
Lahore, PakistanBatting style Right-handed Bowling style Right arm off break International information National side Pakistan Test debut (cap 134) 8 September 1995 v Sri Lanka Last Test 1 April 2004 v India ODI debut (cap 103) 29 September 1995 v Sri Lanka Last ODI 7 October 2003 v South Africa Domestic team information Years Team 1994–2004 Pakistan Intl. Airlines 1994–1998 Islamabad 1997–2008 Surrey 2003–2004 Lahore 2007 Sussex Career statistics Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 49 169 194 323 Runs scored 927 711 3,405 1,339 Batting average 14.48 11.85 16.69 11.64 100s/50s 1/2 0/0 1/14 0/0 Top score 101* 37* 101* 38* Balls bowled 14,070 8,770 44,634 16,062 Wickets 208 288 833 478 Bowling average 29.83 21.78 23.56 23.55 5 wickets in innings 13 6 60 7 10 wickets in match 3 n/a 15 n/a Best bowling 8/164 5/20 8/65 5/20 Catches/stumpings 15/– 40/– 67/– 80/– Source: Cricinfo, 8 December 2009 Saqlain Mushtaq (Urdu: ثقلین مشتاق) (born December 29, 1976) is a Pakistani cricketer, regarded as one of the finest off spin bowlers of all time.[1] He is best known for pioneering the "doosra", which he employed to great effect during his career. Saqlain has not been active in international cricket since 2004.
Contents
Career
Saqlain made his international debut in September 1995 playing against Sri Lanka at Peshawar.[2] He picked up four wickets at an average of 26.75 in the first test of the series.[3] The highlight of his Test career came in the away series against India in January/February 1999, where he achieved his first ten wicket haul in a test match.[4] In the first test, with India needing only 17 runs to win, Saqlain effectively sealed Pakistan's win by taking the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar who had scored 136.[5] He ended the series with twenty wickets at an average of 20.15, which earned him the Man of the Series award.[6][7]
Domestic career
Saqlain represented Surrey for eight successive seasons, from 1997 to 2004. However, his time there was interrupted and his international career with Pakistan effectively ended in 2004.[8]
In August 2005, he played his first match after recovering from injury against Bangladesh A, and took 4-87 from 35 overs bowled over two innings.[9] However that same week, in his return to the County Championship, he conceded 110 off 28 overs against Gloucestershire, taking just one wicket.[10]
In February 2006, he signed for Ireland for the C&G Trophy, along with fellow team mate Abdul Razzaq.[8][11]
Later in February 2007, Sussex announced that Saqlain had signed a two-year contract with them. His initial requirement was to cover for fellow Pakistanis, Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan who were part of Pakistan's World Cup campaign.[12] On 26 September 2007, Saqlain was released by the county on his request. On 8 October 2007 Saqlain was re-signed by Surrey.[13]
On 28 October, according to Cricinfo, he was released by Surrey.
In April 2009 he joined Old Whigiftians CC[14] to play in the Surrey Championship. He took 64 wickets in his first season, including five 5 wicket hauls to earn Whits promotion to the first division. He was also involved in the youth game setup. In 2010, after relocating to Leicestershire, he joined Syston Town Cricket Club, playing in the Everards County League.[15]
In late 2010, he was training in Taunton at the facilities of Somerset County Cricket Club, whom he has now joined as a temporary spin-bowling coach for the 2011 Caribbean Twenty20 competition.[16]
Playing style
Saqlain is credited with the invention of the "doosra", an off-spinner's delivery which is bowled with an action very similar to that of an off-break.[8] However, it spins in the opposite direction (i.e. from the leg side to the off side), easily confusing batsmen, making it a very effective weapon.[17] Saqlain became well known for this variation ball, which was integral to his success, although he received criticism for overusing it.[2]
His other variation was the arm-ball, which again uses a similar action to the off-break, but causes the ball to go straight on without turning.[citation needed]
During his time at Surrey, Saqlain worked on developing new deliveries which he called the "teesra" and the "chotha".[18] However little else is known about these deliveries.
Records and achievements
- Saqlain was selected as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 2000.[2]
- A statistical analysis conducted by Wisden in 2003 revealed Saqlain as the all-time greatest ODI spinner, and sixth greatest of all ODI bowlers.[1]
- Was the fastest to reach the milestones of 100, 150, 200 and 250 wickets in ODIs.[19]
- He was the first of only two spinners to have taken a hat-trick in an ODI (the other being Abdur Razzak), and the second of only four bowlers to have taken two ODI hat tricks (Wasim Akram, Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga being the others),[20] the second of which was only the second hat-trick in a World Cup match.[21][22]
Personal life
After marrying a British citizen, Saqlain gained a British passport, which made him eligible to play for England after a four-year qualification period that ended in April 2008.[23]
References
- ^ a b All-time W100 ODI Top 10s: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 26 April 2007.
- ^ a b c Saqlain Mustaq - Player Profile: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 25 February 2007.
- ^ Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1995/96, 1st Test: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 27 April 2007.
- ^ Statsguru - Saqlain Mushtaq - Test Bowling - Series averages: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 27 April 2007.
- ^ Pakistan in India, 1998/99, 1st Test: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 27 April 2007
- ^ Test Series 1998/99 Averages, India v Pakistan: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 27 April 2007.
- ^ Pakistan in India, 1998/99, 2nd Test: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 27 April 2007.
- ^ a b c Saqlain signs for Ireland: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 26 February 2007.
- ^ Surrey v Bangladesh A scorecard: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 26 February 2007.
- ^ Surrey v Gloucestershire scorecard: BBC Sport Retrieved 26 February 2007.
- ^ Abdul Razzaq signs for Ireland: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 26 February 2007.
- ^ Sussex swoop for spinner Saqlain: BBC Sport Retrieved 26 February 2007.
- ^ Saqlain returns to Surrey, Cricinfo.com, Retrieved 8 October 2007
- ^ Old Whitgiftians CC 29 April 2009
- ^ "Cricket: Test star Saqlain Mushtaq joins Syston Town", Leicester Mercury, 23 April 2010, retrieved 2010-04-25
- ^ http://www.somersetcountycc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/Newsdetail/0,,11333~2259695,00.html
- ^ What is a doosra?: BBC Sport Retrieved 25 February 2007.
- ^ What is the 'doosra'?: BBC Sport Retrieved 25 February 2007.
- ^ ODIs: Fastest to reach multiples of 50 ODI Wickets: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 25 February 2007.
- ^ One Day Internationals - Hat Tricks: Cricinfo.com Retrieved 25 February 2007.
- ^ ICC World Cup - 37th match, Super Sixes, Pakistan v Zimbabwe. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 19 June 2008.
- ^ June 11 down the years. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 19 June 2008.
- ^ Saqlain considers England option. Cricinfo Retrieved on 16 July 2007.
External links
Pakistan squad – 1996 Cricket World Cup 1 Wasim Akram (c) • 2 Aamer Sohail (Vice-captain) • 3 Aaqib Javed • 4 Ata-ur-Rehman • 5 Ijaz Ahmed • 6 Inzamam-ul-Haq • 7 Javed Miandad • 8 Mushtaq Ahmed • 9 Rameez Raja • 10 Rashid Latif (wk) • 11 Saeed Anwar • 12 Saleem Malik • 13 Saqlain Mushtaq • 14 Waqar Younis
Pakistan squad – 1999 Cricket World Cup Runners-up 1 Wasim Akram (c) • 2 Moin Khan (wk) • 3 Saleem Malik • 4 Ijaz Ahmed • 5 Waqar Younis • 6 Saeed Anwar • 7 Mushtaq Ahmed • 8 Inzamam-ul-Haq • 9 Saqlain Mushtaq • 10 Shahid Afridi • 11 Azhar Mahmood • 12 Abdul Razzaq • 13 Yousuf Youhana • 14 Shoaib Akhtar • 15 Wajahatullah Wasti • Coach: Mushtaq MohammadPakistan squad – 2003 Cricket World Cup 1 Waqar Younis (c) • 2 Abdul Razzaq • 3 Azhar Mahmood • 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq • 5 Mohammad Sami • 6 Rashid Latif (wk) • 7 Saeed Anwar • 8 Saleem Elahi • 9 Saqlain Mushtaq • 10 Shahid Afridi • 11 Shoaib Akhtar • 12 Taufeeq Umar • 13 Wasim Akram • 14 Younis Khan • 15 Yousuf Youhana • Coach: Richard PybusCategories:- 1976 births
- Living people
- Islamabad cricketers
- Pakistan International Airlines cricketers
- Pakistan One Day International cricketers
- One Day International hat-trick takers
- Pakistan Test cricketers
- Cricketers at the 1996 Cricket World Cup
- Cricketers at the 1999 Cricket World Cup
- Cricketers at the 2003 Cricket World Cup
- Surrey cricketers
- Sussex cricketers
- Ireland cricketers
- Wisden Cricketers of the Year
- English people of Pakistani descent
- Lahore (Indian Cricket League) cricketers
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