Saqlain Mushtaq

Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (September 2008)

Saqlain Mushtaq (Urdu: ثقلین مشتاق) (born December 29, 1976 in Lahore, Punjab) 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.

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 excellent figures, taking 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 when he suffered a serious knee injury 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

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.^[15] 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 calls the "teesra" and the "chotha".^[16] 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 statistcal 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.^[17]

• He is the only spinner to have taken a hat-trick in an ODI, and one of only three bowlers to have taken two ODI hat tricks (Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas being the others)^[18], the second of which was only the second hat-trick in a World Cup match.^[19][20]

Personal life

After his Cricket career was effectively ended by the onslaught on him by Virender Sehwag enroute his 309 in Multan, Saqlain spent almost three years out of cricket^[12], actively promoting the religion of Islam in local communities.

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.^[21]

References

External links

• Cricinfo.com - Saqlain Mushtaq's Player Profile

v • d • e Pakistan squad – 1996 Cricket World Cup 1 Wasim Akram (c) • 2 Aamer Sohail • 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

v • d • e 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

v • d • e Pakistan 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: Pybus