How come Wasim and Waqar played only half of the Test matches they could have played together?

[Slog]

Since Waqar's debut to the 2 W's retirements in 2003, Pakistan played a total of 111 Test matches

Today I found out that the 2 only played 61 of these Tests together

That is pretty mindblowing.

These guys missed so many matches which they should have played together

 

[Pete Rose]

injury, bannings, loss of form etc.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

This is actually kind of surprising.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Wasim was no longer a regular in tests around the end of 2001. In fact 2000 onwards Wasim played very few tesrs. Just did not have it in him for tests anymore. Waqar played till the World Cup. I guess around 12 tests were played by Waqar in that period. The rest wee missed because of injury,loss of form etc.

 

[Haroon786]

Waqar had a couple of serious injuries which kept him out for some time after his initial peak phase.

Also, in the late 90s and early 2000s, when both got captaincy stints, their personal grudges with each other meant they dropped each other. Also Shoaib emerged in the late 90s and with Azhar Mahmood and Razzaq in the team as pace bowling all rounders, there just wasn't space for both of the 2 Ws (at the twilight of their career) to play in the XI.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Wasim Akram had diabetes in late 90s. PCB's medical examination of 90s was a joke.

Diagnosed in 1997 in the middle of a Test cricket series, after his father dragged him to the doctor – Akram had begun losing weight and experiencing considerable thirst and fatigue. He lost loads of weight, was drinking a lot of water and was sleeping the whole time.

When he was first told that he had Type 1 diabetes, he got quite depressed, especially after all his friends were telling him that he would have to give up his cricket.

Source: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Teens/Fun-stuff/Celebrities/Wasim-Akram/

And Waqar had a career-ending kind of injury in early 90s. But the champion athlete he was, he came back and still wrecked havoc.

Imran also lost 3 prime years to injury

 

[proud_pakistani]

Mainly injuries. It was Waqar who mainly went through a very lengthy off lay due to his back. Even when he was ready for a comeback Wasim was more in favor of Shoaib Akhtar.

 

[The_Odd_One]

More than injuries, Waqar's bitter relationship with Wasim kept him out of the team in the 90s.

Wasim robbed Waqar off at least 100 more wickets in both formats.

 

[Slog]

I think our teams greatly underachieved in the 1990s and a huge reason for this was that for long stretches our 2 best bowlers never played as a pair.

It is called the era of the 2 Ws but in reality it’s the era where 1 of the 2 Ws was playing

 

[Ab Fan]

And later these two were joined by Akhtar and Saqlain.

How many tests in which Wasim, Waqar, Akhtar and Saqlain all played?

 

[silentkiller187]

both had an ego problem and were bitter towards each other, unfortunately killed of both their careers in the process, when they should have been at their peak.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

I think our teams greatly underachieved in the 1990s and a huge reason for this was that for long stretches our 2 best bowlers never played as a pair.

It is called the era of the 2 Ws but in reality it’s the era where 1 of the 2 Ws was playing

It was because of their inflated egos and underachieving at the same time as they could have been absolute lethal as a bowling pair had they kept their egos aside for the country.

 

[Saj]

Waqar suffered a stress fracture of his back.

Wasim had regular problems with groin injuries.

 

[Savak]

Wasim had a problem with his shoulder in 1995 and in 1997 which made him sit out for a few games, he then was dropped for a few games in 1998 due to match fixing allegations. From 2002 onwards he decided playing test cricket was too much for him given his age, body, diabetes e.t.c

Waqar had back problems in 1994, an elbow problem in 1998 and from 1999-2000 he lost his place in the side to Shoaib and was no longer the automatic pick in the side given that he just was not the same bowler. Being rewarded the captaincy in 2001 proved to be his lottery ticket which meant he was now able to play all the games from 2001 to 2003 which he normally wouldn't if he just played as a player because other captains would not have bought into his mythical reputation

 

[Savak]

More than injuries, Waqar's bitter relationship with Wasim kept him out of the team in the 90s.

Wasim robbed Waqar off at least 100 more wickets in both formats.

This is not true. Waqar by 1999 was not the same bowler, he was overweight and bowling like a medium pacer, devoid of any devastating rhythm, he regularly leaked runs against India in that series in Jan 1999 and just habitually relieved the pressure created by Saqlain, Wasim. Wasim as captain had to make the best possible decision for the team and apparently it was on Salim Malik's suggestion that Wasim decided that Shoaib had to be given a chance. The rest is history. Shoaib grabbed his opportunities with both hands, had it been someone else picked Waqar would have been back immediately after a game or two.

Waqar apparently was unhappy at being benched in the 1999 World Cup and Mushtaq Ahmed asked him to name the best possible 11 at the time and how he could fit himself in, he couldn't. Wasim gave Waqar an opportunity in the 1999 Sahara Cup against the West Indies and Waqar's performance was not up to the mark. Wasim again gave Waqar a chance in the second test against Australia in 1999 and he was not effective in the second innings against Langer/Gilchrist.

This theory that Wasim deliberately sabotaged Waqar's career is a myth, Waqar was just not the same bowler in 1999 and Wasim was justified in benching him as captain. Captain's have to make the best possible decision for the team even if it means upsetting and spoiling relationships just like Imran Khan did with Majid Khan