Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar       (Rawalpindi Express)

Shoaib Akhtar born 13 August 1975 in Rawalpindi, Punjab) is a former Pakistani right arm fast bowler incricket, who is regarded as the fastest bowler in the world. He set an official world record by achieving the fastest delivery, when he clocked in at 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) in his bowling speed, twice at a cricket match against England. His ability to bowl fast yorkers and quick bouncers have made him one of the best fast bowlers in cricket.

However, he has been involved in several controversies during his career, often accused of not being a team player. Akhtar was sent home during the Test match series in Australia in 2005 for alleged poor attitude. A year later, he was embroiled in a drug scandal after testing positive to a banned substance. However, the ban imposed on him was lifted on court appeal. In September 2007, Akhtar was banned for an indefinite period for his fight with Pakistan team mate and fast bowler Mohammad Asif. On 1 April 2008, Akhtar was banned for five years for publicly criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board. In October 2008, the Lahore High Court in Pakistan suspended the five year ban and Akhtar was selected in the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 Quadrangular Tournament in Canada.Pakistani judge, Rana Bhagwandas stated once that, Akhtar is a legend of Pakistan cricket. He retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup.

Early years:

Akhtar was born at Morgah, a small town near Rawalpindi, Punjab in Pakistan. His father was a plant operator in Attock Oil Refinery, Morgah. Akhtar started his studies at Elliott High School, Morgah and then took admission in the Asghar Mall College, Rawalpindi.

Personal information
Full name	Shoaib Akhtar
Born	13 August 1975 (age 35) Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
Nickname	Rawalpindi Express
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Batting style	Right hand bat
Bowling style	Right arm fast
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	Pakistan
Test debut (cap 150)	29 November 1997 v West Indies
Last Test	8 December 2007 v India
ODI debut (cap 123)	28 March 1998 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI	8 March 2011 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.	14
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	T20I
Matches	46	157	13
Runs scored	544	391	8
Batting average	10.07	9.10	2.66
100s/50s	0/0	0/0	0/0
Top score	47	43	4
Balls bowled	8,143	7,506	270
Wickets	178	247	15
Bowling average	25.69	24.50	23.46
5 wickets in innings	12	4	0
10 wickets in match	2	n/a	n/a
Best bowling	6/11	6/16	2/11
Catches/stumpings	12/–	20/–	2/–
Source: Cricinfo, 8 November 2010

Waqar Younas

Waqar Younas!

Waqar Younis Maitla born 16 November 1971) is a former Pakistani right arm fast bowler in cricket and widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers of all time.

He was best known in cricket for his ability to reverse swing a cricket ball at high speed when bowling at the cricket pitch. He took 373Test wickets and 416 One Day International wickets during his career. He is considered to be the best exponent of the swing bowling delivery. Younis has the best strike rate for any bowler with over 200 Test wickets. He worked as a bowling coach with the national side from 2006 to 2007.

Younis was appointed as the coach of the Pakistan cricket team on 3 March 2010. His managerial contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board will take part in all forms of cricket, right up to December 2011, which will include all professional competitions, such as the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

Younis was awarded Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1992 for his sporting achievements. He is also the only bowler to have taken a 5 wickets in an innings in 3 consecutive One Day International matches. He has taken a 5 wicket hauls on 13 occasions in One Day International matches. In terms of deliveries bowled, he has taken the fastest 50, 300, 350 and 400 wickets in One Day International matches and the fastest 150, 200, 250, 300 and 350 wickets in Test matches.

Although primarily a fast bowler, Younis scored 1010 Test match runs during his career. As of September 2005, he was the only non-batsman to achieve a thousand runs without scoring a fifty.

Younis holds the record for the best strike rate for any bowler with over 200 Test wickets.

Muhammad Yousaf

Muhammad Yousaf!

Mohammad Yousuf formerly Yousuf Youhana, یوسف یوحنا; born 27 August 1974, Sargodha, Punjab,Pakistan) is a Pakistani right-handed batsman. He is best known in cricket for his achievement in 2006 when he broke the world record for most Test runs in a single calendar year. Prior to his conversion to Islam in 2005, Yousuf was one of only a few Christians to play for the Pakistan cricket team.

Yousuf was effectively banned from playing international cricket for Pakistan, for an indefinite period by the Pakistan Cricket Board on 10 March 2010, following an inquiry into the team’s defeat during the tour of Australia. An official statement was released by the Pakistan Cricket Board, saying that he would not be selected again on the grounds of inciting infighting within the team.

On 29 March 2010, Yousuf announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket, a direct reaction of the indefinite ban handed out to him by PCB. However following Pakistan’s disastrous first Test against England in July/August 2010, PCB decided to ask Yousuf to come out of retirement.

Personal information
Full name	Mohammad Yousuf
Born	27 August 1974 (age 36) Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
Nickname	MoYo [1]
Batting style	Right handed batsman
Bowling style	Right-arm off break
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	Pakistan
Test debut (cap 122)	26 February 1998 v South Africa
Last Test	29 August 2010 v England
ODI debut (cap 152)	28 March 1998 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI	22 September 2010 v England
ODI shirt no.	13
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2010–	Lahore Lions
2010	Islamabad Leopards
2008	Lancashire
2004–2008	Lahore Lions
2003–2004	Lahore
2002–2003	ZTBL
2000–2001	Lahore Blues
1999–2002	PIA
1997–1998	Lahore City
1997–2008	WAPDA
1996–1997	Bahawalpur
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	90	287	134	325
Runs scored	7,530	9,717	10,152	10,510
Batting average	52.29	41.88	49.28	39.81
100s/50s	24/33	15/64	29/49	15/68
Top score	223	141*	223	141*
Balls bowled	6	2	18	8
Wickets	0	1	0	1
Bowling average	–	1.00	–	13.00
5 wickets in innings	0	0	0	0
10 wickets in match	0	n/a	0	n/a
Best bowling	0/3	1/0	0/3	1/0
Catches/stumpings	65/–	58/–	84/–	69/–
Source: Cricinfo, 10 October 2010

Awards

Yousuf was named the Test player of the year at the ICC Awards in 2007.

Inzamam Ul Haq (Legend Of International Cricket)

 Inzamam Ul Haq!

Inzamam-ul-Haq  born 3 March 1970 in Multan, Punjab Province, Pakistan), also known asInzamam, nicknamed Inzy or the Sultan of Multan, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era. He rose to fame in the semi-final of the 1992 world cup, in which he scored 60 of 37 balls against a potent Kiwi side.

On October 5, 2007, Inzamam retired from International cricket following the second Test match against South Africa, falling three runs short of Javed Miandad as Pakistan’s leading run scorer in Test cricket. Following his retirement, he joined the Indian Cricket League, captaining the Hyderabad Heroes in the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 competition. In the ICL’s second edition, he captained theLahore Badshahs, a team composed entirely of Pakistani cricketers.

Personal information
Born	3 March 1970 (age 41) Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
Nickname	Inzy
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Batting style	Right-hand
Bowling style	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	Pakistan
Test debut(cap 124)	4 June 1992 v England
Last Test	8 October 2007 v South Africa
ODI debut(cap 158)	22 November 1991 v West Indies
Last ODI	21 March 2007 v Zimbabwe
ODI shirt no.	8
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2008	Lahore Badshahs (ICL)
2007	Hyderabad Heroes (ICL)
2007	Yorkshire
2006–2007	Water and Power Development Authority
2001–2002	National Bank of Pakistan
1998–1999	Rawalpindi
1996–2001	Faisalabad
1988–1997	United Bank Limited
1985–2004	Multan
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	120	378	245	458
Runs scored	8,830	11,739	16,785	13,746
Batting average	49.60	39.52	50.10	38.07
100s/50s	25/46	10/83	45/87	12/97
Top score	329	137*	329	157*
Balls bowled	9	58	2,704	896
Wickets	0	3	39	30
Bowling average	–	21.33	33.20	24.66
5 wickets ininnings	0	0	2	0
10 wickets in match	0	n/a	0	n/a
Best bowling	0/8	1/0	5/80	3/18
Catches/stumpings	81/–	113/–	172/–	128/–
Source: CricketArchive, 20 September 2008

Wasim Akram (Legend)

Wasim Akram:

Akram is regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in the history of cricket. He holds the world record for most wickets in List A cricket with 881 and is second only to Sri Lankan off-spin bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan in terms of One Day International wickets with 502. He is considered to be one of the founders and perhaps the finest exponent of reverse swing bowling. The revolutionary nature of reverse swing initially resulted in accusations of ball tampering by cricket critics, although the skill of the reverse swing delivery has now been accepted as a legitimate features of ability in cricket. Akram’s later career was also tarnished with accusations of match fixing by critics, although these remain unproven.

On 30 September 2009, Akram was one of five new members inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

وسیم اکرم
Personal information
Full name	Wasim Akram Chaudhry
Born	3 June 1966 (age 44) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Nickname	Sultan of Swing, The Two W’s (withWaqar Younis), King Of Swing
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Batting style	Left hand bat
Bowling style	Left arm fast
Role	(All-rounder) bowler and batsman
International information
National side	Pakistan
Test debut(cap 102)	25 January 1985 v New Zealand
Last Test	9 January 2002 v Bangladesh
ODI debut(cap 53)	23 November 1984 v New Zealand
Last ODI	4 March 2003 v Zimbabwe
ODI shirt no.	3
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2003	Hampshire
2000-2001	Lahore
1997-1998	Lahore
1992-2002	Pakistan International Airlines
1988-1998	Lancashire
1986-1987	Lahore
1985-1986	Lahore
1984-1986	Pakistan Automobiles Corporation
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	104	356	257	594
Runs scored	2898	3717	7161	6993
Batting average	22.64	16.52	22.73	18.90
100s/50s	3/7	0/6	7/24	0/17
Top score	257*	86	257*	89*
Balls bowled	22627	18186	50278	29719
Wickets	414	502	1042	881
Bowling average	23.62	23.52	21.64	21.91
5 wickets ininnings	25	6	70	12
10 wickets in match	5	0	16	0
Best bowling	7/119	5/15	8/30	5/10
Catches/stumpings	44/0	88/0	97/0	147/0

Sultan Of Swing!

Imran Khan (The Legend)

Imran Khan:

Imran Khan Niazi born 25 November 1952) is a retired Pakistani cricketer who played international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century and has been a politician since the mid-1990s. Currently, besides his political activism, Khan is also a philanthropist and cricket commentator.

Family, education, and personal life:

Imran Khan was born to Shaukat Khanum and Ikramullah Khan Niazi, a civil engineer, in Lahore. A quiet and shy boy in his youth, Khan grew up in a middle-class Niazi Pathan family with four sisters.Settled in Punjab, Khan’s father descended from the Pashtun (Pathan) Niazi Shermankhel tribe of Mianwali in Punjab. Imran’s Mother Shaukat Khanam (Burki‘s) family includes successful hockey players and cricketers such as Javed Burki and Majid Khan. Khan was educated at Aitchison College, the Cathedral School in Lahore, and the Royal Grammar School Worcester in England, where he excelled at cricket. In 1972, he enrolled to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Keble College, Oxford, where he graduated with a second-class degree in Politics and a third in Economics.

Marriage to Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith

On 16 May 1995, Khan married English socialite Jemima Goldsmith, a convert to Islam, in a two-minute Islamic ceremony in Paris.            A month later, on 21 June, they were married again in a civil ceremony at the Richmond register office in England, followed by a reception at the Goldsmiths’ house in Surrey. The marriage, described as “tough” by Khan, produced two sons, Sulaiman Isa (born 18 November 1996) and Kasim (born 10 April 1999). As an agreement of his marriage, Khan spent four months a year in England. On 22 June 2004, it was announced that the Khans had divorced because it was “difficult for Jemima to adapt to life in Pakistan”.

Khan now resides in Bani Gala, Islamabad, where he built a farmhouse with the money he gained from selling his London flat. He grows fruit trees, wheat, and keeps cows, while also maintaining a cricket ground for his two sons, who visit during their holidays.

Writings by Khan

Khan occasionally contributes opinion editorials on cricket and Pakistani politics to British newspapers. He has also published five works of non-fiction, including an autobiography co-written with Patrick Murphy. It was disclosed in 2008 that Khan did not write his second book, Indus Journey: A Personal View of Pakistan. Instead, his the book’s publisher Jeremy Lewis revealed in a memoir that he had to write the book for Khan. Lewis recalls that when he asked Khan to show his writing for publication, “he handed me a leatherbound notebook or diary containing a few jottings and autobiographical snippets. It took me, at most, five minutes to read them; and that, it soon became apparent, was all we had to go on.”^[

Books

• Khan, Imran (1989). Imran Khan’s cricket skills. London : Golden Press in association with Hamlyn. ISBN 0600563499.
• Khan, Imran & Murphy, Patrick (1983). Imran: The autobiography of Imran Khan. Pelham Books. ISBN 0720714893.
• Khan, Imran (1991). Indus Journey: A Personal View of Pakistan. Chatto & Windus. ISBN 0701135271.
• Khan, Imran (1992). All Round View. Mandarin. ISBN 0749314990.
• Khan, Imran (1993). Warrior Race: A Journey Through the Land of the Tribal Pathans. Chatto Windus. ISBN 0701138904.

Articles

• Guardian comments, political and cricket commentary by Khan
• Telegraph columns, sports articles penned by Khan from 2000 to present
• We must address the root causes of this terror, Khan’s editorial in the Independent following the 11 September attacks
• Benazir Bhutto has only herself to blame, Khan’s 2007 editorial on Bhutto’s return to Pakistan

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