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Abdul
Qadir
15
September 1955, Lahore
Abdul
Qadir! One of the most colorful characters in the history of the sport!
He was a favorite with the fans, because of his attitude on the field.
Some thought he was arrogant, others thought him to be a clown! Either
way, Qadir's exploits on the field made him one of the most loved
cricketers, not only in Pakistan, but around the World. Considered to be
the best leg spinner in the 80's and early 90's, Abdul Qadir began his
career in 1977/78 against England, in his home town, Lahore.
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On
a dead track, he was economical but just picked up one wicket in the
first innig of the drawn test match. The selectors were reluctant to
pick Qadir, because of the risk factor involved, when playing a leg
spinner. It was mainly due to this reason, that Qadir did not make his
One-Day International debut till the 1983 World Cup. His Debut was
against a strong New Zealand team under the leadership of Gp.Howarth.
Qadir bowled his full quota of 12 overs for just 21 runs and picked up 4
wickets for his efforts.
A remarkable spell of aggressive, yet economical, and in the end,
rewarding bowling, that earned him the wickets of Edgar, Wright,
Cairns and Howarth. Batting second, Pakistan went through their usual
batting collapse leaving the lover order to do the work. Coming in at
number 9, Qadir proved he can bat as well as bowl. He top scored with an
unbeaten 41, as wickets fell around him and Pakistan lost the match.
However, it was a tremendous debut and did not go un noticed. Qadir was
awarded the Man of the Match award, despite his team ending up on the
losing side. Since then, Abdul Qadir was a permanent member of the
Pakistan side. His close friend, Imran Khan was instrumental in
persisting with Qadir while he was going through lean patches, and Qadir
repaid his Captain for his confidence, becoming the best leg
spinner in the World, and bringing back the lost art of top quality, leg
spin bowling.
In
the latter part of his career, Qadir suffered serious leg injuries which
kept him away from the cricketing scene in the early 90's. He played his
last test for Pakistan in Lahore, against the West Indies in 1990,
following which he suffered a severe ankle injury which ended his test
career.
Being the fighter that he is, Qadir came back into contention to
play for Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in Sharjah during
1993/94.
In the match against Sri Lanka, Qadir once
again suffered an ankle injury that forced him to leave the field,
midway through his quota.
The
effects of the first ankle injury had weakened his ankle, and the
pressure of bowling 10 overs on the trot were too much. While chasing
the Sri Lankan target of 271, Pakistan got of to a flier thanks to their
opening batsman, Saeed Anwar. Anwar top scored with a fluent 111 but
Pakistan lost their way in the middle order once
again. Qadir came out to bat with a runner, and after a few tense
moments one the match for Pakistan with a huge six in the final
over!
Typical Abdul Qadir...Always the entertainer! That was Abdul Qadir's
last International Match for Pakistan as he decided to retire due to his
continuing ankle injuries. In a One-day International Career of 104
matches, he picked up 132 wickets at an average of 26.15, and in a Test
Match career of 67 matches, he picked up 236 wickets at an average of
32.80, and a best of 9-56!
Abdul Qadir may not be playing cricket anymore, but he has contributed
much to Pakistan Cricket. Current Pakistan leg spinner, Mushtaq Ahmed is
a protégé of Abdul Qadir, as is Ali Rizwi, the young leggie
waiting in the wings. Qadir runs a coaching camp in Lahore, and
continues to give back to Pakistan Cricket. Without a doubt, one
of the true Legends of Pakistan Cricket....Abdul Qadir.
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