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Saqlain Mushtaq

Pakistan

Full name Saqlain Mushtaq

Born December 29, 1976, Lahore, Punjab

Current age 32 years 193 days

Major teams Ireland, Pakistan, Islamabad Cricket Association, Lahore Badshahs, Pakistan International Airlines, Surrey, Sussex

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct
Tests	49	78	14	927	101*	14.48	3603	25.72	1	2	82	7	15
ODIs	169	98	38	711	37*	11.85	1434	49.58	0	0	45	4	40
First-class	194	263	59	3405	101*	16.69			1	14			67
List A	323	182	67	1339	38*	11.64			0	0			80
Twenty20	9	4	0	24	14	6.00	24	100.00	0	0	2	0	2

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	49	86	14070	6206	208	8/164	10/155	29.83	2.64	67.6	12	13	3
ODIs	169	165	8770	6275	288	5/20	5/20	21.78	4.29	30.4	11	6	0
First-class	194		44634	19630	833	8/65		23.56	2.63	53.5		60	15
List A	323		16062	11261	478	5/20	5/20	23.55	4.20	33.6	16	7	0
Twenty20	9	9	210	265	14	3/24	3/24	18.92	7.57	15.0	0	0	0

Career statistics

Test debut	Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Peshawar, Sep 8-11, 1995 scorecard
Last Test	Pakistan v India at Multan, Mar 28-Apr 1, 2004 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut	Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Gujranwala, Sep 29, 1995 scorecard
Last ODI	Pakistan v South Africa at Faisalabad, Oct 7, 2003 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class debut	1994/95
Last First-class	Surrey v Hampshire at The Oval, Sep 9-12, 2008 scorecard
List A debut	1994/95
Last List A	Surrey v Essex at The Oval, May 11, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut	Hampshire v Surrey at Southampton, Jun 24, 2003 scorecard
Last Twenty20	Essex v Surrey at Chelmsford, Jun 20, 2008 scorecard

Profile

A trend-setter. Saqlain Mushtaq was perhaps the first offspinner to master the doosra, a delivery that spins away from the batsman even though it is delivered with an offspinner's action. Saqlain has a fast, short-stepping action with a halting delivery, and has a propensity to bowl no-balls, unusually for a bowler with such a short run. He is criticised for attempting too much variation and he often throws in the doosra the first time a batsman faces. Saqlain's international career got off to a splendid start - he was the fastest bowler to 100 one-day wickets, and his phenomenal control meant that he regularly bowled at the death. But his finest moment arguably came in a Test match, at Chennai in 1998-99, when his ten-for allowed Pakistan to sneak nerve-tingling 12-run win against India. However, his stock has fallen a long way since then, with Shoaib Malik, a better batsman than Saqlain, usurping the spinner's spot in the ODI line-up and Danish Kaneria becoming the frontline Test spinner. Saqlain did get an opportunity to have a go at the Indians again in the 2003-04 series, but unflattering figures of 1 for 204 at Multan meant that he was quickly consigned to the scrap heap. He was unable to force his way back ahead of Danish Kaneria and he was blighted by injury after a prolific time with Surrey. However, his career was given a lifeline in 2007 when he joined Mushtaq Ahmed at Sussex and there was even talk of him qualifying for England. That could remain a distant dream, after signing a contract with the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League. Indeed, his ICL contract forced Surrey to severe ties with him after the 2008 season, ending his 11-year relationship with The Oval.

Kamran Abbasi October 2008

Notes

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2000