Abdul Qadir! One of the most colourful 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. On a dead track, he was economical but just picked
up one wicket in the first innigs 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 agressive, 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 permanant 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, aginst the West Indies in 1990, follwoing
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 preassure of bolwing 10 overs on thr 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 protege 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.
Full Name : Abdul Qadir Khan
Date of Birth: 15 September 1955, Lahore
Major Teams : Pakistan, Punjab, Lahore, Habib Bank Limited.
Test Debut : Pakistan v England at Lahore, 1st Test, 1977/78
Last Test : Pakistan v West Indies at Lahore, 3rd Test, 1990/91
Test Match Record.
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting 67 77 11 1029 61 15.59 - 3 15 -
Balls M R W Ave Best 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 17126 608 7742 236 32.80 9-56 15 5 72.5 2.71
One Day International Record.
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting 104 68 26 641 41* 15.26 - - 21 -
O M R W Ave Best 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 850 54 3453 132 26.15 5-44 4 2 38.6 4.06