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Abdul Qadir vs. Saqlain Mushtaq

Francis

State Vice-Captain
Abdul Qadir vs. Saqlain Mushtaq... who dost thou consider better?

I want plenty of Pakistinians posting in this thread.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Should have set it up with a poll, would have been interesting.

I've no idea myself, haven't really seen any of them play.
 

Francis

State Vice-Captain
I've no idea myself, haven't really seen any of them play.

Have you been a cricket fan for long? Because it wasn't that long ago that Mushtaq was the best one-day bowler in the world... even if it was for a short time.

I still hear the Pakistinian keeper saying "Good bowling Mushy." Classic stuff. That lad turned games on their head in the crucial overs.

Qadir was the leg-spinner from the 80s with a wacky action who went very overlooked as being a brilliant bowler. It sort of shines a light on the virtues of Warne's charisma, because Warne reinvigourated spin in the game, but there were great leggies inbetween O'Riely and Warne such as Qadir and Benaud. Warne just captured people's imagination more than Qadir. Make no mistake about it though, Qadir was great and he and Mushy are very close.
 

chooka_nick

International 12th Man
Francis said:
Have you been a cricket fan for long? Because it wasn't that long ago that Mushtaq was the best one-day bowler in the world... even if it was for a short time.
I tend to recall 'Mushy' (as he will henceforth be known) as hitting his peak around the 1999 World Cup. Used to be quite a handful, and I'm pretty sure he took an ODI hattrick too.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Francis said:
I've no idea myself, haven't really seen any of them play.

Have you been a cricket fan for long? Because it wasn't that long ago that Mushtaq was the best one-day bowler in the world... even if it was for a short time.
Well I'm only 16, which meant I would have been about 9 at the time of the 1999 World Cup, and therefore too young to remember, and then I'd been living overseas (China) from 2001 to mid 2005 so it's been a bit hard for me to have seen, or at least remember many players play.
 

Truekiwijoker

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Saqlain mustaq was one of the best off-spinners of the modern era. Alot of subtle variations in flight and turn, and extremely accurate and intelligent. Always effective, even without the Doosra!

But He wasn't the turner of test matches I remember leg-spinner Abul Qadir was. Qadir was easily the best spinner of his era and one of the Pakistani players everyone watched wherever they went.

I'd say as good as Saqlain Mushtaq was, Abdul Qadir was better.
 

Francis

State Vice-Captain
Good point because if I recall, Qadir got plenty of impacting fivers... yet I can't be bothered to go to cricinfo to confirm this. To answer my own question, I have no idea because they were both extremely good.
 

NavjotSidhu

Cricket Spectator
Francis said:
I've no idea myself, haven't really seen any of them play.


I still hear the Pakistinian keeper saying "Good bowling Mushy." Classic stuff. That lad turned games on their head in the crucial overs.
The word is Pakistani not Pakistinian. :laugh:
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
I always see "Mushy" as Mushtaq Ahmed too. It just goes better for him.

Saqlain was an absolute gun off spinner, and I still believe he wasted his talent. He could have been one of the best ODI bowlers ever.

I still to this day remember back when I was really young and Pakistan and the West Indies toured Australia for the VB Series in 1996/97 (I think it was called the Carlton & United ODI Series back then) when Australia didn't make the finals of the tri-series. Pakistan won it beating the WI in the finals 2-0 IIRC.

Pakistan came to Australia with 2 young guns, Saqlain and Afridi. At that time Saqlain was like 20 and Afridi was said to be 16 or 17 (meh to whatever people thing about if its his real age or not, he was damn young) and this is when, even as a youngster, I stood up and took notice of Saqlain.

This was one of his best matches as a youngster, and probably what kick started his career:
http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1996-97/OD_TOURNEYS/CUODS/PAK_AUS_CUODS_ODI3_15DEC1996.html
 

masterblaster

International Captain
Pardon my lack of knowledge on the matter, but whatever happened to Saqlain?

He was one the most gifted off spinners I've seen and he's been out of the Pakistani squad for what seems like an eternity.

What happened to him?
 

Francis

State Vice-Captain
He could have been one of the best ODI bowlers ever.

He wasn't one of the best ODI bowlers ever? I have him top ten for me along with (in no order) Akram, Yunis, McGrath, Warne, Murali, Khan, Donald, Pollock and I don't know who'd be 10. Lee will be one by the end of his career I'd think.

Saqlain holds the record for most ODI wickets in a calendar year. Now when it comes to ODI stats, they're just harder to read than tests. You have to understand where the bowlers bowled. Going for 45 runs when you bowl at the death can be seen as a great success. Then there's conditions... and yeah just basicly the flow of the game. But you just can't deny a stat like that. Was it the best bowling year ever? Maybe, maybe not. I've said it before, stats don't reveal everything. But they do point one in the right direction and Mushtaq's up there. Brilliant bowler.

I was just thinking the other day how Pakistan have a nice history of producing great ODI players. Mohammad Yousuf has been brilliant in the last few years and well as a few others who slip my mind. Before that Saeed Anwar was brilliant.

But yeah Mushy is one of the best ODI bowlers ever.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
I saw a lot of Saqlain at the Oval and he was a delight, made countless number of good batsmen look like fools but from what I have seen on video, read from ex players et cetera Abdul Qadir is the dogs...
 
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wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
TT Boy said:
I saw a lot of Saqlain at the Oval and he was a delight, made countless number of good batsmen look like fools but from what I have seen on video, read from ex players et cetera Abdul Qadir is the dogs.
Qadir was a wonderful test bowler, and even demolished the all-conquering WI side on occasions. He stood out more than Saqlain because he was just about the only spinner worthy of the name in the 80's, and certainly the best leggie for ages.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Qadir. Certainly didn't bowl with quite the same control as Saqlain but gee, he was good when he was on a roll. Had fabulous variation. I mean three wrong'uns, geez........
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
masterblaster said:
Pardon my lack of knowledge on the matter, but whatever happened to Saqlain?
Injured, then injured some more then injured again.

Just signed for Ireland.

So from now on he will be known as Saqlain O'Mushtaq.
 

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