The Sultan of Swing!!!

[fatman17]

Thursday, December 12, 2013

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Waqar Younis becomes first of four inductees of 2013-14

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame before the start of the first Twenty20 International between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai Sports City on Wednesday. Waqar received his commemorative cap from International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive David Richardson in front of a large and appreciative crowd. He now becomes the 70th male member and fifth Pakistani after Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Nicknamed ‘The Burewala Express’, Waqar is famously known as one half of ‘The Two Ws’ – a moniker for the fast bowling pair of Wasim Akram and Waqar. A famed exponent of reverse swing, he claimed 373 wickets from 87 Tests and 416 scalps from 262 One-day Internationals. The 42-year-old, who was born in Vehari, Punjab, also led his country in 17 Tests and 62 ODIs. In a first-class career spanning over a decade, he snared 956 wickets from 228 matches with a best of 8-17.

Waqar’s Test figures bear ample testimony to his brilliance – he registered 22 hauls of five wickets or more in an innings, and, on five occasions, took 10 wickets or more in a match. He also boasted the best strike-rate of any bowler with more than 200 wickets in Tests during his playing days – a record only recently beaten by Dale Steyn. His best bowling performance in a Test came almost 20 years ago, when he registered match figures of 13-135 against Zimbabwe in the first Test in Karachi, having taken 7-91 and 6-44. His feats in limited-overs cricket were no less impressive. He remains to date the only bowler to take five wickets in an innings in three consecutive ODIs (On November 4, 6 and 9, 1990). He was also the fastest to the milestone of 400 wickets in ODIs.

He was a member of the Pakistan team that reached the quarter-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 1996 and the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 1999, and he captained his country in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. His best performance in ODIs came when he led his side against England at Headingley in 2001, where he notched up 7-36. Having retired from cricket in 2003, Waqar now plies his trade as a coach and commentator.

Waqar said of his induction in Dubai: “I’m thrilled to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in front of a lot of my fans here in Dubai. Having played some of my early cricket in the UAE, I feel it’s fitting that this is the stage for my induction. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all those people who supported and stood by me during my career, helped me develop as a cricketer, and played a role in making me what I am today.”

 

[pak-marine]

congrats to Waqar Younus for making it in the ICC hall of fame , its an honor for Waqar Pakistan ,the ICC & great game of cricket

 

[JanjaWeed]

Congratulations to Waqar... But i always thought Wasim Akram was the real sultan of swing!

 

[airmarshal]

The two Ws' - Wasim & Waqar are the royalty of fast bowling. The gems that Pakistan proudly possess. Congratulations Waqar.

 

[fatman17]

December 23, 2013
Majid's floppy crown
Haider Riaz

Majid Khan: Charismatic, elegant, gifted and brave. And always hatted. © Getty Images

Majid Khan was the quintessential Pakistani player of the bygone age. He was charismatic, elegant, gifted and brave. Majid weaved his magic with the cricket bat in an era of great fast bowlers, and his achievements secured his reputation as one of the country's greatest opening batsmen. It didn't matter if the challenge was from a 95 mph thunderbolt from Michael Holding, or a medium-pitched delivery from a lowly county bowler - Majid would play both with the same artistic flair and the air of a man that did not seem to be trying.

Majid came from one of Pakistan's greatest cricketing families; his cousins Javed Burki and Imran Khan both captained the country, with Imran going on to become perhaps Pakistan's most celebrated cricketer. Majid held his own in this illustrious family. He is one of only four batsmen to score a Test century before lunch, was the first Pakistani to score an ODI century, and once hit 13 sixes in an innings against Glamorgan.

His strokeplay brought Majid the admiration of some of his most formidable contemporaries. Dennis Lillee, the great Australian fast bowler, held Majid in high esteem. Lillee once narrated a tale about a bet he had had with him. Majid used to don an antiquated round hat during the first half of his career, the only element of inelegance when he was at the crease. Lillee decided to take it upon himself to knock the hat off of Majid's head, perhaps he too felt that such a vulgar adornment did not belong on the gracefully poised Majid. When Majid learned this, he offered Lillee his treasured hat, if he could indeed dislodge it.

It finally happened at the Sydney Cricket Ground a few years later. Lillee bowled a vicious bouncer, and the ball just managed to brush the hat, setting it askew and the laws of Newton did the rest. True to his word, Majid picked up the hat, strode over to Lillee and handed it to him without hesitation. This gesture was in harmony with Majid's sense of fairplay. He was a known walker, and an ardent adherent of the set of ethics known collectively as the Spirit of the Game".

The romanticism surrounding Majid's cricket has little to do with statistics and records. It is rooted in a more aesthetic appreciation of the game. His legacy is enhanced by the fact that Pakistan has not produced players of his ilk for decades now. One can only wade through nostalgic footage from the 60s and 70s and take delight in his unhurried shots.

As for the hat, Lillee claims to have had it whole for many years, until his wife decided it needed a wash and put it in the washing machine. It didn't take long for it to fall to pieces, losing its shape and structure completely. Despite the little mishap, Lillee still keeps remains of the hat along with all the other awards and honours he has acquired during his distinguished career, in tribute not only to a great player, but a great person.

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Haider Riaz is a Physics and Computer Science student at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. His exposure to the modern game is limited, but he is an enthusiast of the history of the game, particularly the Packer era. He often looks back to Pakistan's golden era in the 70s and 80s, comprising of Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and the great Imran Khan.

 

[kbd-raaf]

When I read Sultan of Swing I thought of this: