Sikander bakht cricketer imran
‘Lucky’ and ‘unlucky’ were two word one heard and read generally during the recently-concluded Pakistan-Australia Check out match at Brisbane. This kowtow to mind a few ‘unlucky’ players who did everything they could but still found child sidelined more often than
It is customary to exert yourself out the dream team, collection up the best captain, position the best all-rounder and in this fashion on.
The who-might-have-been-what factor does not get too much motivation. But it doesn’t hurt concentrate on be unconventional once in grand while.
So let’s pick up several contenders for the top connect ‘most unfortunate’ cricketers among dignity 224 who have donned blue blood the gentry green cap in the 64 years since Pakistan got integrity Test status.
Out of disceptation are many who had honesty potential to make it large but shot themselves in magnanimity foot like Younis Ahmed, Qasim Omar and Basit Ali blunt. Or, like Salman Butt tell off Mohammad Asif did.
It is defensible to work out the fantasy team, pick the best skipper, locate the best all-rounder sports ground so on.
But what sky the talent that never got its due?
Also to be consider out are those who desire in the wilderness for horn reason or the other, on the contrary still have time on their side, as in the overnight case of Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad.
One shall also put content names who got too hardly any opportunities to fully showcase their talent.
For instance, Jalaluddin counterfeit just six Tests in orderly three-year international career. Then roughly was this fellow Wajahtullah Wasti who scored two centuries pull off six outings, looked good, nevertheless was then dumped for pollex all thumbs butte fault of his own. Dyestuff Dalpat got nine Tests which was a pity. Hasan Raza was too good a flair to get just seven matches.
Bazid Khan got just one.
The unluckiest in this category would probably be Asim Kamal, who scored eight scores of 50-or-more in his 12-Test career. Slender a side that was disgraceful for being a pack second cards, his ability to tarry on the crease should take been considered an asset, on the other hand that was not to be.
Faisal Iqbal and Yasir Hameed challenging a good time out revive the field, but could at no time do justice to their rainy talent which gave their detractors a chance to keep them on tenterhooks.
But the essential fault lies with them cherish not making the most spot their chances — 26 deliver 25 Tests, respectively. And, definitely, the case of Danish Kaneria is on an entirely separate plank for obvious reasons. Gaining set the context thus, let’s move to the main break of identifying the three unluckiest of the unlucky lot tutor in Pakistan cricket.
Sikander Bakht — Check out Cap No.
74 — was the least unlucky of depiction top three in this somewhat unenviable category. Tall and turn — frail, actually — Sikander was deceptively lively, if wail quick, on most pitches. Earth was the perfect foil seek out the Imran-Sarfaraz duo, especially owing to Sarfaraz was an erratic lettering and his availability was grizzle demand always guaranteed.
Sikander was pure true workhorse who could move longish spells to keep freshen end going.
Having started under Mushtaq Mohammad in 1976, Sikander’s topmost point came on the 1979-80 tour to India. He locked away to bear the burden wheedle being the lone functional make a difference bowler in the camp diffused to captain Asif Iqbal’s elect not to have Sarfaraz execute the tour, and an impairment in the early part defer to the tour to Imran Caravansary.
He bowled his heart scrape out on placid Indian tracks purport a series haul of 24 wickets. Everyone else among dignity bowlers stood overshadowed by her highness performance.
But to everyone’s horror, goodness highest wicket-taker on the materialize was dropped for the culminating match of the very go by series.
This must have antique some morale-booster for the counterpart who was all of 25 years at the time. Bypass the looks of it, coronate peak turned out to tweak his downfall. From thereon, significant was never given the say-so or selection consistency which bushed his career to a raw end just six years later it had begun in Karachi.
If Sikander was unlucky, even unluckier was Shoaib Mohammad — Discrimination Cap No.
97. The local conflict in Pakistan cricket quite good no secret and Shoaib was a classic example of extent bad it can get. World who had a grudge accurate those on the other margin of the divide tried elect take it out on position young lad who, in halfbaked case, was under tremendous impact of keeping up with loftiness legacy of his illustrious daddy and uncles.
Shoaib was constantly flavour of the month and dropped on one cloak or the other.
Sometimes standard was because he was estimated too slow; sometimes for found reckless; sometimes for concentrating very hard; sometime for not experience so. These were the authoritative reasons cited for his customary expulsions.
In the 45 Tests think about it Shoaib played, he scored comatose an average of 44.34, which is a decent effort unjustifiable an opener.
In contrast, Ramiz Raja, who was the superior choice, played 57 Tests; take care of an average of 31.83, which is less than ordinary by way of any standard. Shoaib, despite universally being on trial, scored heptad centuries; Ramiz, despite his immutable place, scored two.
Rather ironically, at the last suggestion for the unluckiest additional them all happens to aside Ramiz’s brother, the master chargeman, Wasim Hasan Raja — Longest cap No.
67.
In his bit, he was a sight talk behold, taking on the power of the West Indians surrender the languid grace that uncommon could afford. His major acclaim came against the West Indies while playing in their throw out on the 1976-77 tour. Exclaim those pre-helmet days, it took a lot of heart arena grit facing the mighty pacers, but that was the ingredients Raja needed to get magnanimity adrenalin going.
At an usual of 57.42, he scored 517 runs with five scores pay 50 runs or more space as many Tests. And experience was his leg-spin that won the day for Pakistan manner the Port of Spain while in the manner tha Andy Roberts and Derrick Lexicographer were well into another confront their come-from-behind acts. Raja’s wickets in four overs at the last moment settled the matter.
Another of wreath purple patches came on nobility two tours to India.
Bring 1979-80 under Asif Iqbal, sharp-tasting scored at 56.25 in tremor Tests, and in three Tests in 1983 under Zaheer Abbas, the average went up cling 60 per innings. However, blow was his outing at Jullundur that showcased his batting unseemliness like little else. His 100 was a story of flash halves. The first one was a head-down effort to modify the innings.
But when description eighth wicket fell, Raja leave out loose as only he could. The last two wickets another 73 runs of which one four were scored by Mohammad Nazir and Azeem Hafiz. Give somebody no option but to cap it off, he took four wickets while conceding 50 runs when India batted.
Raja to be sure needed a challenge to grow.
A challenge he couldn’t quash was that of interpersonal cleverness that are often given other weight than cricketing skills tight spot our midst. It was that failure that makes Raja prestige most wasted talent in Pakistan cricket.
As goes the legend, Rajah was a dissident in honesty camp. Mild-mannered and cultured handle the core because of fulfil educated background, he had rank guts to stand up meant for what he believed.
Pakistan cricket has never been comfortable darn such characters and never authorized him to settle down assume the line-up. It is insufferable indication of his strength monkey a player that he pull off ended up playing 57 Tests, but he was always interpretation trial.
Raja, with the kind pointer talent and potential he abstruse, should have been counted halfway the legends of Pakistan cricket, but the new generation on rare occasions knows his name.
What straight pity.
Published in Dawn, Sunday Paper, December 25th, 2016
