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| Pakistani
Squad
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Saqlain
Mushtaq
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| Born: |
29 December 1976, Lahore, Punjab |
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| Major
Teams: |
Islamabad Cricket Association, Pakistan International
Airlines, Surrey, Pakistan. |
| Known
As: |
Saqlain Mushtaq |
| Pronounced: |
Saqlain Mushtaq |
| Batting
Style: |
Right Hand Bat |
| Bowling
Style: |
Right Arm Off Break
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| Test
Debut: |
Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Peshawar, 1st Test, 1995/96 |
| Latest
Test: |
Pakistan v South Africa at Durban, 1st Test, 2002/03 |
| ODI
Debut: |
Pakistan
v Sri Lanka at Gujranwala, 1st ODI, 1995/96 |
| Latest
ODI: |
Pakistan
v South Africa at Cape Town, 5th ODI, 2002/03 |
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Profile:
The only good thing for Pakistan
in the disastrous home series against Sri Lanka of 1995-96 (which
Pakistan lost 2-1) was the discovery of 19-year-old off-spinner
Saqlain Mushtaq. Saqlain made his debut in the first match of the
series and claimed his first Test wicket with only the seventh
ball. He has continued to improve since then, and has come to be
considered as one of the game's premier off-spinners. He has an
easy action, bowls with great control and variation. He rarely
bowls a loose ball, and has found greater success in the shorter
version of the game. The main weapon in Saqlain's armory is his
"floater", known as the "Mystery Ball" by some
- the one which drifts away from a right-handed batsman. He has
probably found more wickets with this ball than with the
conventional off-breaks.
Saqlain always has his priorities fixed: to take wickets by
baffling the batsmen. But more importantly he is a team player,
who prefers team's success to everything else. The brightest
moment of Saqlain's career is possibly his sterling performance on
the tour of India in 1998-99, when he took 24 wickets in three
Tests. His ten-wicket haul in the Chennai Test brought a nerve
tingling 12-run victory to Pakistan.
Saqlain belongs to that rare category of spin bowlers who have
claimed hat trick in One-day cricket on not one but two occasions.
Incidentally for him, his opposition on both these occasions was
Zimbabwe. He also holds the unique distinctions of reaching 100
and 150 wickets in Tests in the shortest time, as well as taking
the highest number of wickets in a calendar year in ODI's. In a
little over a span of two years, he has already taken more than
150 wickets.
Saqlain is no stranger with the bat. He usually comes into bat at
number seven or eight and has the ability to frustrate the bowling
attack with his flawless concentration and rock-solid defense. He
has played some memorable and match saving innings for Pakistan
batting at this position, so much so that some analysts are even
prepared to give him the status of an all-rounder. It was one of
such innings, when batting with Wasim Akram, he set a world record
for the 8th wicket in Tests against Zimbabwe in 1996. In the
summer of 1997 he took part in the English County circuit playing
for Surrey and found unprecedented success while bowling on the
bouncy tracks.
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