As part of Pakpassion's on-going tribute to the legends of Pakistani cricket, this weeks 'Beyond the Boundary' piece looks back on the career of Waqar Younis, undoubtedly one of the best bowlers ever produced by a country rich with fast bowling resources.

By Shayan Siddiqui (12th November 2012)

My earliest memory of the great Waqar Younis was in 1996, when Pakistan toured England for 3 test matches. The first game was held at Lords, and his bowling to Graham Hick is something i’ve always cherished. After bowling him with a stunning yorker in the 1st innings, Waqar was brought on early during Hick’s 2nd attempt at the crease. David Gower on commentary stated: “This battle was won in the first innings by Waqar Younis...”

Waqar was at the top of his mark, and began his smooth purposeful run to the crease, gathering speed as he went. He jumped into his stride before unfurling that trademark slingy action and releasing the missile towards the batsman. The ball initially angled towards the slips, as a standard outswinger might, but then remarkably snaked back in, beating Hick’s inside edge and crashing into the stumps. Gower finished his sentence, “And it’s won again! That’s comprehensive!”

Over the years, Pakistan fans may have become accustomed to deliveries such as the one Waqar bowled to Hick that day, but it’s worth stopping and considering just how good a bowler he really was, and how lucky we were to be able to watch him at his best. He took 373 wickets in 87 tests at an average of 23.56. His strike rate of 43.4 is the highest among bowlers with over 300 test wickets, a phenomenal achievement. He also comes in 3rd behind Brett Lee and Saqlain Mushtaq for the highest ODI strike rate among bowlers with over 100 wickets. His combined total of international wickets (789) puts him at 7th behind Muralitharan, Warne, Kumble, McGrath, Akram and Pollock. Not bad company to be in. Of all these great bowlers, only Warne played fewer games than Waqar.

To this day, it’s difficult for any cricket pundit to comment on reverse swing or yorkers without referring to Waqar Younis. His potency and ability to take the pitch out of the equation arguably made him an even more effective test bowler than his partner in crime, Wasim Akram. The two of them brought joy to Pakistanis for a number of years, and put fear in batsmen the world over. The 2 Ws are perhaps the greatest fast bowling partnership the cricketing world has ever seen, and both legends in their own right. 

Even towards the end of his career, when his pace was down, Waqar showed he had the brain to still trouble the best. His figures of 7-36 at Headingley in 2001 were his best bowling in an ODI, just 2 years before his retirement. In addition, during the forgettable World Cup defeat to India in 2003, Waqar produced a magical moment that is often overlooked. After Virender Sehwag was dismissed, Saurav Ganguly came to the crease and Waqar promptly put in 2 slips for the left-hander, suggesting an out-swinger was coming his way. Instead, Ganguly was given a classic Waqar inswinger, the ball thudded into his pads and he had been completely outfoxed. 

A truly astonishing bowler, Waqar Younis changed the art of fast bowling forever, proving that green bouncy tracks were not needed to take wickets if you had enough skill, and boy, Waqar had it in abundance. He played his final game on 4th March 2003, and batsmen around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that their toes were finally safe from the homing missiles that were the trademark Waqar inswinging yorkers.

In recent times, Pakistan cricket fans have had little to cheer about, with spot-fixing, controversies and political manoeuvring often dominating the cricket headlines. Very few superstars have emerged for a number of years, which makes it all the more important to appreciate what the likes of Waqar Younis brought to our country and the game of cricket. A bowler that will go down in history as one of the most feared and devastating the world has ever seen, someone that all of Pakistan should be incredibly proud of. 

Mr Waqar Younis, thank you for the memories.

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