16th November, 1971 : Waqar Younis 'the man who put the reverse into swing' was born!

[WebGuru]

Birth of the Burewala Bombshell. There have been few more scintillating sights in cricket history than Waqar Younis in his pomp. With batsmen hopping and stumps flying, he and Wasim Akram took reverse swing to a new level in the early 1990s with their toe-crushing yorkers. He was at his best in the early 1990s - after bursting onto the scene against New Zealand in 1990-91, Waqar took 109 wickets over a three-year period at an average of 18.07 and the incredible strike rate of 33.55 balls per wicket. He later became captain of Pakistan, and took 7 for 36 - the second-best figures in ODI history - against England at Headingley in 2001. He was also a huge success in county cricket, first for Surrey and then Glamorgan, for whom he took a career-best 8 for 17 against Sussex at Swansea in 1997. He retired in 2004.

 

[Strike Rate]

I enjoyed watching Waqar more than Wasim

 

[Mamoon]

Waqar at his peak was the best Pakistani pacer ever and perhaps second to Marshall only.

 

[Hawkeye]

I enjoyed watching Waqar more than Wasim

Interesting.

Hmm uncle do you have an introductions thread? Make one, we need you there

 

[Strike Rate]

Waqar at his peak was the best Pakistani pacer ever and perhaps second to Marshall only.

true!

 

[Mamoon]

Anyone who watched cricket at that time always says that Wasim and Imran were brilliant but Waqar was something else.

If YouTube videos are anything to go by, he was a beast.

Only remember him from 1998 onwards and he was not the same bowler after his back injury.

 

[Strike Rate]

Anyone who watched cricket at that time always says that Wasim and Imran were brilliant but Waqar was something else.

If YouTube videos are anything to go by, he was a beast.

Only remember him from 1998 onwards and he was not the same bowler after his back injury.

Watching Waqar in his peak before injury was something you can't explain in words but after that injury he was not even 50%

 

[Junaids]

Watching Waqar in his peak before injury was something you can't explain in words but after that injury he was not even 50%

Yes and no.

Before the 1992 back fracture Waqar was extremely fast (150-160) and had late inswing. But he was not great with the new ball, and even when he returned in England in 1992 after the fracture he was most dangerous with the old ball (and was probably bowling at 140-150K then and on the following tours to NZ). He could be quite easy to score quickly against, as the West Indians showed in 1992-93.

In the period 1995-1997 Waqar was bowling around 140-145 and was much less threatening in Australia than he had been previously.

Then, from 1997, his pace was down to 135-140 but he finally learned to move the new ball away from opening batsmen, which is what made him so good in South Africa in 1997-98. He looked good in his one Test in Australia a year later, but Wasim Akram wouldn't have him in the team for two of the three Tests.

So Waqar's was a career of many stages.

 

[Sakss]

On this Day in 1971: Waqar Younis, One of the greatest fast bowlers was born

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>On this day in 1971, Waqar Younis, one of the world's greatest & fastest bowlers of all time was born <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash">#Cricket</a> <a href="http://t.co/cbTie1JVjL">pic.twitter.com/cbTie1JVjL</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/533929982398304257">November 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Sakss]

Some legends wishing bday to another legend

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Happy birthday Skipper ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WaqarYounis?src=hash">#WaqarYounis</a> thank you for all the memories - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Legend?src=hash">#Legend</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/toecrushers?src=hash">#toecrushers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yorkers?src=hash">#yorkers</a> <a href="http://t.co/P1ge8M2yvO">pic.twitter.com/P1ge8M2yvO</a></p>— Azhar Mahmood (@AzharMahmood11) <a href="https://twitter.com/AzharMahmood11/status/533918494417756160">November 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I would like to wish happy Birthday to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WaqarYounis?src=hash">#WaqarYounis</a>, one of the greatest fast bowlers the world has ever seen <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/happybirthdayVicky?src=hash">#happybirthdayVicky</a></p>— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) <a href="https://twitter.com/wasimakramlive/status/533914192131018752">November 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[WebGuru]

Mods please fix the title it's 1971 not 1989...

 

[MenInG]

Another birthday for the Master of Toe Crushers!

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

I liked what akram the legend said but the truth is he is the one to blame for less bright career of wakar

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

Like 2Ws, will never come. The ultimate beast and beauty.

 

[Mainul]

Anyone who watched cricket at that time always says that Wasim and Imran were brilliant but Waqar was something else.

If YouTube videos are anything to go by, he was a beast.

Only remember him from 1998 onwards and he was not the same bowler after his back injury.

I didn't see Imran at his peak but saw the whole carrier of Waqar.He was exceptional. His run up was so exciting to watch.Even Usain Boult praised his running.His running up to the wicket sometimes ignited a desire in me to become a fast bowler, though i couldn't bowl even as fast as the faster delivery of Afridi.

He was ,is and probably will remain my all time favorite fast bowler.

 

[jeetu]

I enjoyed watching Waqar bowl. Probably the most attacking attacking bowler of all time. It can be seen statistically too. He has lower lower SR but higher economy as compared to other great bowlers.

 

[RehanG]

I enjoyed watching Waqar more than Wasim

i second that

 

[Zaz]

Waqar was boxoffice in the early to mid 90s

Happy birthday champ Even though i seriously doubt hes born in 71, hes probably 3 years older than that

 

[AamirWarraich]

At his peak he was the deadliest fast bowler ever. It's a shame politics and scandals within the team didn't let him or even Wasim reach their full potential, even when you factor in the injuries.

 

[Farhansk]

Watching Waqar running in full stream and knocking out the stumps was the best sight of cricket for me and I am being honest here.