Was Wasim Bari the best wicket-keeper ever?

[Major]

I was reading an article on cricinfo, the article was really an interesting one. The article was about a fielding playing 11. The whole 11 players were chosen based upon their fielding and not taking batting or bowling into context.

As i read the article, i knew no Pakistani player was going to be mentioned, but as i read it, the article had mentioned as Waseem Bari being the main wicket keeper of this 11.

This obviously meant that Waseem was the best genuine Keeper out of every keeper that has played till this date.

Was he really that good though?

He had some very interesting stats

(Pakistan, 1967-1984, 81 Tests, 201 catches, 27 stumpings, batting average 15.88)

 

[bleaf27]

You mean best wicket-keeper for Pakistan or for any team ever ?

 

[Sachin136]

They choose Wasim because he was a bad batsman. They had some arbitrary criteria that they have to be mediocre batsman or bowlers in order to get picked.

 

[Big Mac]

Dunno, it won't be long before someone tells us about some random English keeper from back in the day whose reactions were so good that rather than standing up to the stumps for quick bowlers, he stood 5 yards in front of the batsman. Not only that, but his the palms of his gloves were covered in the most beautiful, live butterflies and his glovework was SO good that at the end of the day's play not a single one of them was harmed because of the ease with which he caressed the ball into his gloves.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Dunno, it won't be long before someone tells us about some random English keeper from back in the day whose reactions were so good that rather than standing up to the stumps for quick bowlers, he stood 5 yards in front of the batsman. Not only that, but his the palms of his gloves were covered in the most beautiful, live butterflies and his glovework was SO good that at the end of the day's play not a single one of them was harmed because of the ease with which he caressed the ball into his gloves.

Alan Knott's reactions were so good that rather than standing up to the stumps for quick bowlers, he stood 5 yards in front of the batsman. Not only that, but his the palms of his gloves were covered in the most beautiful, live butterflies and his glovework was SO good that at the end of the day's play not a single one of them was harmed because of the ease with which he caressed the ball into his gloves.

 

[Big Mac]

Alan Knott's reactions were so good that rather than standing up to the stumps for quick bowlers, he stood 5 yards in front of the batsman. Not only that, but his the palms of his gloves were covered in the most beautiful, live butterflies and his glovework was SO good that at the end of the day's play not a single one of them was harmed because of the ease with which he caressed the ball into his gloves.

You're the wrong Aussie, it was going to be Junaids and he would have been 100% serious.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Wrong Aussie, it was going to be Junaids and he would have been 100% serious.

don't worry the doctor may yet deliver [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION]

 

[Major]

You mean best wicket-keeper for Pakistan or for any team ever ?

overall

 

[MMHS]

I was reading an article on cricinfo, the article was really an interesting one. The article was about a fielding playing 11. The whole 11 players were chosen based upon their fielding and not taking batting or bowling into context.

As i read the article, i knew no Pakistani player was going to be mentioned, but as i read it, the article had mentioned as Waseem Bari being the main wicket keeper of this 11.

This obviously meant that Waseem was the best genuine Keeper out of every keeper that has played till this date.

Was he really that good though?

He had some very interesting stats

(Pakistan, 1967-1984, 81 Tests, 201 catches, 27 stumpings, batting average 15.88)

Arguably one of the very best - because, he kept proficiently against a versatile attack. Of the 4 other WK, of that generation - Knott was technically best - he used to stand on wicket against medium pacers on green tops, (so that batsmen don't stand outside crease to counter seem movement), but he hardly kept against spinners & wasn't required to keep against express pace. Kirmani was the best WK against spinners on turners - marginally ahead of Bari; Rod Marsh & Doujon were fantastic against pace, bounce & diving around.

In that regard, Bari indeed was a complete WK who kept against pace, swing, reverse swing, seem, both types of spin proficiently. May be, is poor batting can be a factor here, but Bob Taylor, Waily Grout, Don Tallon, Oldfield & Godfrey Evans were similar batsmen (not to mention WKs before WW 2, when they averaged in single digit often).

 

[Mamoon]

Slightly off-topic, but I am ashamed to admit that I only found out yesterday that Bairstow's father kept wickets for England as well.
[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION], how good was David Bairstow?

 

[The_Odd_One]

Arguably one of the very best - because, he kept proficiently against a versatile attack. Of the 4 other WK, of that generation - Knott was technically best - he used to stand on wicket against medium pacers on green tops, (so that batsmen don't stand outside crease to counter seem movement), but he hardly kept against spinners & wasn't required to keep against express pace. Kirmani was the best WK against spinners on turners - marginally ahead of Bari; Rod Marsh & Doujon were fantastic against pace, bounce & diving around.

In that regard, Bari indeed was a complete WK who kept against pace, swing, reverse swing, seem, both types of spin proficiently. May be, is poor batting can be a factor here, but Bob Taylor, Waily Grout, Don Tallon, Oldfield & Godfrey Evans were similar batsmen (not to mention WKs before WW 2, when they averaged in single digit often).

Do you think Bari was a better keeper than Latif?

 

[PakLFC]

In my opinion for Pak it was Rashid Latif. Overall the best in my opinion would be between Rod Marsh or Alan Knott. I am going for the Englishman.

 

[Justcrazy]

Do you think Bari was a better keeper than Latif?

[MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] that is my question also , how do you rate Latif , purely as WK , compared to bari.

 

[Junaids]

Slightly off-topic, but I am ashamed to admit that I only found out yesterday that Bairstow's father kept wickets for England as well.
[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION], how good was David Bairstow?

I was very upset when David Bairstow hanged himself. I'm a Lancastrian, but my mother's family is from Yorkshire going back to the days of the Vikings. Which is why I worship Fred Trueman and even Sir Geoffrey.

David Bairstow in some ways was a right-handed Matthew Wade. A mediocre keeper but a gutsy batsman and a loud, aggressive presence behind the stumps. When Bob Taylor (see below) became the Test keeper, Bluey Bairstow eventually became the ODI keeper, simply because Taylor couldn't bat to save his life!

When I started watching cricket in the 1970's there were five great keepers in the world.

My favourite was Lancashire and India's Farokh Engineer: the most average keeper but the best batsman of the four, and an impossibly glamorous and swashbuckling player. See, [MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION] , at least one Indian is a boyhood hero of mine. (Two if you count Bishan Bedi. Three if you count Mrs Gandhi!)

The most similar to Engineer was Australia's Rod "Iron Gloves" Marsh. Again, very similar to Matthew Wade as a batsman, but a better keeper.

The other three just had magical hands: the two Englishmen Alan Knott and Bob Taylor and the Pakistani Wasim Bari.

Knott was the best of those three because he was a genuine international Class batsman.

Taylor only got selected when Knott was banned for defecting to Kerry Packer.

Wasim Bari was just like Bob Taylor. Astonishingly good keeper. Terrible batsman.

 

[MMHS]

On pure gloves work, I think Bari was slightly better - he had palms like silk, could glove anything at pace without slightest of sound. However, Bari was a cricketer of 60s to early 80s, while Latif was 20 years junior generation, therefore his fitness level, his athleticism, his reflexes were sharper, his reach was farther.

I probably'll pick Latif (regardless of batting), because of superior physical condition & reach - but, on pure keeping merit, Bari gloved better, anticipated better, was a better man to grab anything regulation within reach.


[MENTION=60967]Justcrazy[/MENTION]; [MENTION=139975]The_Odd_One[/MENTION]

 

[The_Odd_One]

On pure gloves work, I think Bari was slightly better - he had palms like silk, could glove anything at pace without slightest of sound. However, Bari was a cricketer of 60s to early 80s, while Latif was 20 years junior generation, therefore his fitness level, his athleticism, his reflexes were sharper, his reach was farther.

I probably'll pick Latif (regardless of batting), because of superior physical condition & reach - but, on pure keeping merit, Bari gloved better, anticipated better, was a better man to grab anything regulation within reach.


[MENTION=60967]Justcrazy[/MENTION]; [MENTION=139975]The_Odd_One[/MENTION]

This is a good assssment. Latif was a very athletic keeper and he took some stunning diving catches.

Dujon was another great keeper who took some really great catches.

The best keeper batsman after Gilchrist was Knott, a truly legendary cricketer who is hardly known by younger fans.

 

[Ab Fan]

Pakistan's best definitely IMO.

 

[moghul]

I have seen Bari and many others, WK standard was great in his era, with Allan Knot , Marsh, Murray/Dujon, Taylor, Kirmani, but Bari was the best , the most natural keeper and probably the worst batsman.

 

[Justcrazy]

On pure gloves work, I think Bari was slightly better - he had palms like silk, could glove anything at pace without slightest of sound. However, Bari was a cricketer of 60s to early 80s, while Latif was 20 years junior generation, therefore his fitness level, his athleticism, his reflexes were sharper, his reach was farther.

I probably'll pick Latif (regardless of batting), because of superior physical condition & reach - but, on pure keeping merit, Bari gloved better, anticipated better, was a better man to grab anything regulation within reach.


[MENTION=60967]Justcrazy[/MENTION]; [MENTION=139975]The_Odd_One[/MENTION]

Good points made.

These days unless you bat well , purely on WK skills you are not considered for selection.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

I never saw Bari play but from the ones I have seen Latif is probably the best WK we've ever had in a while. Could dive athletically without any problems and had an extremely safe pair of hands - come to think of it, I believe I do not have any recollection for a missed chance from Latif, at least from what I saw of him. Moin was also good but Latif was the better keeper no doubt.

Moin was slightly better with the bat thought, which made him 1st choice between the two on most occasions all throughout the 90s. Plus he was the better striker of the ball as well. A SR of 80s in that era was most impressive tbh..

 

[silent ischemia]

From the keepers I ve seen Healy is the best glove man by miles. Historically it has to be Allan Knott.

 

[silent ischemia]

I never saw Bari play but from the ones I have seen Latif is probably the best WK we've ever had in a while. Could dive athletically without any problems and had an extremely safe pair of hands - come to think of it, I believe I do not have any recollection for a missed chance from Latif, at least from what I saw of him. Moin was also good but Latif was the better keeper no doubt.

Moin was slightly better with the bat thought, which made him 1st choice between the two on most occasions all throughout the 90s. Plus he was the better striker of the ball as well. A SR of 80s in that era was most impressive tbh..

No missed chance not sure but cheat damn sure; Alok Kapali.
Atiq uz Zaman was a good keeper as well but didn't play much for Pakistan

 

[Tusker]

Dunno, it won't be long before someone tells us about some random English keeper from back in the day whose reactions were so good that rather than standing up to the stumps for quick bowlers, he stood 5 yards in front of the batsman. Not only that, but his the palms of his gloves were covered in the most beautiful, live butterflies and his glovework was SO good that at the end of the day's play not a single one of them was harmed because of the ease with which he caressed the ball into his gloves.

Alan Knott's reactions were so good that rather than standing up to the stumps for quick bowlers, he stood 5 yards in front of the batsman. Not only that, but his the palms of his gloves were covered in the most beautiful, live butterflies and his glovework was SO good that at the end of the day's play not a single one of them was harmed because of the ease with which he caressed the ball into his gloves.

You're the wrong Aussie, it was going to be Junaids and he would have been 100% serious.

don't worry the doctor may yet deliver [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION]

lol so Iam not the only one that feels this way

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

No missed chance not sure but cheat damn sure; Alok Kapali.
Atiq uz Zaman was a good keeper as well but didn't play much for Pakistan

I could bring up literally 20 more examples from the past era of where batsmen, bowlers and fielders claimed something entirely different on the field than what happened during the game, case in point the Justin Langer infamous 'clicky bat handle' from the 1999 Hobart test and how 16 years later he claimed to have 'absolutely smashed it' but for all these incidents you can't just simply label them as cheats. They are professional players representing their nations and they compete to win (no matter what)

Plus he and Amir Sohail are probably the only two blokes from the 90s who have a clean chit, for any corruption whatsoever, therefore to label such a guy as a cheat is very demeaning and absolutely unnecessary. Ata ur Rehman was a decent keeper but he was horribly bad with the bat - almost Chris Martinesque tbh....

A Test average of 8.44 and an ODI average of 4.xx in 13 and 30 games respectively is a testament to this !!

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

In the Above post I by mistake have given the stats for Ata Ur Rehman ) )

Atiq uz Zaman has a Test Average of 13.00 and 17.00 in 1 test and 3 ODIs.......

 

[silent ischemia]

In the Above post I by mistake have given the stats for Ata Ur Rehman ) )

Atiq uz Zaman has a Test Average of 13.00 and 17.00 in 1 test and 3 ODIs.......

Hahaha. Wow. Just look at the sample size. Hardly qualifies for a case report let alone a cohort

 

[silent ischemia]

I could bring up literally 20 more examples from the past era of where batsmen, bowlers and fielders claimed something entirely different on the field than what happened during the game, case in point the Justin Langer infamous 'clicky bat handle' from the 1999 Hobart test and how 16 years later he claimed to have 'absolutely smashed it' but for all these incidents you can't just simply label them as cheats. They are professional players representing their nations and they compete to win (no matter what)

Plus he and Amir Sohail are probably the only two blokes from the 90s who have a clean chit, for any corruption whatsoever, therefore to label such a guy as a cheat is very demeaning and absolutely unnecessary. Ata ur Rehman was a decent keeper but he was horribly bad with the bat - almost Chris Martinesque tbh....

A Test average of 8.44 and an ODI average of 4.xx in 13 and 30 games respectively is a testament to this !!

Latif is different. He claims to be the torch bearer against corruption. He claims to have done nothing wrong on the field. And cheating is cheating; if you claim a catch by picking it up from the ground when the umpires or batsman hasn't seen it what shall we call it.

 

[MenInG]

Reports indicate that Bari Sahib is ill with covid-19 and has been admitted in a hospital.

We wish him the best of health.

 

[Shafi]

Good keeper but one of the worst batsman who played for Pakistan. Rizwan is the best wicket keeper batsmen we ave ever produced. His only thread will be Rohail Nazir.

 

[Mamoon]

As a pure wicket-keeper, Bari, Latif and Rizwan are the best Pakistan have ever produced.

As a wicket-keeper batsman, Kamran is the best in Pakistan history. During his peak years as a batsman (2005-2009), he was several notches above anyone in Pakistan history including Rizwan.

He was inconsistent but at his best, he was brilliant.

Nevertheless, the legacy of Pakistani wicket-keeper batsmen clearly shows the lack of talent in Pakistan.

We have not produced a single wicket-keeper batsman who can be considered in the same class as de Gilchrist, Sangakkara, Dhoni, McCullum, de Kock, Buttler, Bairstow, Pant etc.

Clearly the least talented cricket nation of all time - not just today but historically as well.

 

[Ahson8]

As a pure wicket-keeper, Bari, Latif and Rizwan are the best Pakistan have ever produced.

As a wicket-keeper batsman, Kamran is the best in Pakistan history. During his peak years as a batsman (2005-2009), he was several notches above anyone in Pakistan history including Rizwan.

He was inconsistent but at his best, he was brilliant.

Nevertheless, the legacy of Pakistani wicket-keeper batsmen clearly shows the lack of talent in Pakistan.

We have not produced a single wicket-keeper batsman who can be considered in the same class as de Gilchrist, Sangakkara, Dhoni, McCullum, de Kock, Buttler, Bairstow, Pant etc.

Clearly the least talented cricket nation of all time - not just today but historically as well.

Kami best WK bat ? No way, look at his test averages outside Pakistan.

 

[PakLFC]

No way. Many were better then him in world cricket. Kamran Akmal for starters!!

 

[Junaids]

I send my best wishes to Wasim Bari for a full recovery. He would be the biggest cricketer lost to Covid.

He was a lovely keeper. Such fantastic footwork and safe hands!

Lately I’ve been looking at Mohammad Wasim and thinking that he looks like the love child of Wasim Bari and Mohammad Akram!

Get well soon, Wasim Bari.

 

[Yk313]

Bari arguably the best gloveman from PAK.

Having said that, much better against pace in comparison to against spin although still solid against spin.

There was this joke that Qadir’s variations can bamboozle the batsman, Bari and Qadir himself.

All in all, not many others can lay claim to being as good behind the stumps.

 

[Mamoon]

Kami best WK bat ? No way, look at his test averages outside Pakistan.

No Pakistan wicket-keeper was consistent with the bat. The pre-Kamran era keepers all averaged in the 20s or below.

Kamran is easily the best batsman among all of them when you look at his peak performances.

His best knocks at home alone makes him better than all of them, plus he has two brilliant hundreds in India.

Sarfraz had a great patch in 2014-2015 but Kamran’s peak was better.

Overall, he is clearly the best wicket-keeper batsman Pakistan has had so far, although the bar is embarrassingly slow. Rizwan though has the potential to surpass him, but he needs to score several big hundreds before he can enter that discussion.

 

[Mamoon]

Also, Kamran is unlucky to not have played Tests in UAE. He would have done well there as a batsman.

 

[PakPremi]

As a pure wicket-keeper, Bari, Latif and Rizwan are the best Pakistan have ever produced.

As a wicket-keeper batsman, Kamran is the best in Pakistan history. During his peak years as a batsman (2005-2009), he was several notches above anyone in Pakistan history including Rizwan.

He was inconsistent but at his best, he was brilliant.

Nevertheless, the legacy of Pakistani wicket-keeper batsmen clearly shows the lack of talent in Pakistan.

We have not produced a single wicket-keeper batsman who can be considered in the same class as de Gilchrist, Sangakkara, Dhoni, McCullum, de Kock, Buttler, Bairstow, Pant etc.

Clearly the least talented cricket nation of all time - not just today but historically as well.

I agree with you all three have been sublime. I am amazed at some catches Rizwan takes, for so long we suffered with likes of Kamran, though Sarfraz was a big upgrade in terms of reliability.

 

[moghul]

The reason many cricket historian consider Bari as the best keeper ever to play the game is that he was the best keeper in the golden era of the wicketkeeper when Rodney Marsh ( Australia ), Allan Knot ( England ) David Murray ( WI ) Kirmani ( India ) were playing for their respective countries and all of them have been ATG keepers.

Bari was such a natural keeper, I never heard of him dropping a catch or missing a stump . He was equally good to fast bowlers and spinners.

He loved his keeping and never was much interested in batting, hence was probably the worst batsman among the keepers of his era.

Even in nets, he hardly used to bat, always polishing his keeping skill , that I heard about him.

 

[moghul]

Latif, Moeen, Akmal, all were better batsmen but not in Bari's league in wicket keeping.

 

[Major]

Also, Kamran is unlucky to not have played Tests in UAE. He would have done well there as a batsman.

not unlucky.

Kamran had his chances.

At one point, he owned the monopoly in wicket keeping in pakistan, as even if he dropped catches he couldn't be replaced because no other keeper knew how to bat.

2008 Sarfraz had no confidence at international level.

The moment a better keeper with ability to bat was going to come, Kamran was a goner. Thats exactly what happened.

Kamran could score concecutive 200s, he won't get selected as he wasted the golden opportunity.

The worst keeper we have had. He even cost PZ the PSL finale, ISB would had lost had he held on to asif ali's catch

 

[burger_uno]

from youtube highlights, bari appears to be a competent batsman who batted with an aggressive intent but was not patient enough to get himself in. he played some very attractive shots in his innings of 85 against india in lahore in 1978 where he came as a night-watchman and outscored majid khan. in the YT highlight, as bari is nearing 50, omar querishi remarks that bari told him that he would get 50 that inning which seems to indicate bari had some confidence in his ability with bat. surprising that he ended up with an average of a tailender.

growing up in karachi, i often saw bari, salim altaf, and omar qureshi eating together after bari had retired. both bari and salim altaf served pcb in various capacity and did a decent job. as a cricketer he may have lacked in the talent department compared to post 80's generations but pak cricket would have been better served if we had characters like bari in the team.

 

[ManFan]

not unlucky.

Kamran had his chances.

At one point, he owned the monopoly in wicket keeping in pakistan, as even if he dropped catches he couldn't be replaced because no other keeper knew how to bat.

2008 Sarfraz had no confidence at international level.

The moment a better keeper with ability to bat was going to come, Kamran was a goner. Thats exactly what happened.

Kamran could score concecutive 200s, he won't get selected as he wasted the golden opportunity.

The worst keeper we have had. He even cost PZ the PSL finale, ISB would had lost had he held on to asif ali's catch

I can excuse all his drops but the ones off Taylor in the 11’ WC were inexcusable.

 

[ayemgilani86]

Bob Taylor was regarded as the best in terms of that

 

[ayemgilani86]

not unlucky.

Kamran had his chances.

At one point, he owned the monopoly in wicket keeping in pakistan, as even if he dropped catches he couldn't be replaced because no other keeper knew how to bat.

2008 Sarfraz had no confidence at international level.

The moment a better keeper with ability to bat was going to come, Kamran was a goner. Thats exactly what happened.

Kamran could score concecutive 200s, he won't get selected as he wasted the golden opportunity.

The worst keeper we have had. He even cost PZ the PSL finale, ISB would had lost had he held on to asif ali's catch

spot on, and he still thinks he should be in the team? as what we tried him as a specialist batsman as well and his fielding was even worse

 

[ayemgilani86]

I was very upset when David Bairstow hanged himself. I'm a Lancastrian, but my mother's family is from Yorkshire going back to the days of the Vikings. Which is why I worship Fred Trueman and even Sir Geoffrey.

David Bairstow in some ways was a right-handed Matthew Wade. A mediocre keeper but a gutsy batsman and a loud, aggressive presence behind the stumps. When Bob Taylor (see below) became the Test keeper, Bluey Bairstow eventually became the ODI keeper, simply because Taylor couldn't bat to save his life!

When I started watching cricket in the 1970's there were five great keepers in the world.

My favourite was Lancashire and India's Farokh Engineer: the most average keeper but the best batsman of the four, and an impossibly glamorous and swashbuckling player. See, [MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION] , at least one Indian is a boyhood hero of mine. (Two if you count Bishan Bedi. Three if you count Mrs Gandhi!)

The most similar to Engineer was Australia's Rod "Iron Gloves" Marsh. Again, very similar to Matthew Wade as a batsman, but a better keeper.

The other three just had magical hands: the two Englishmen Alan Knott and Bob Taylor and the Pakistani Wasim Bari.

Knott was the best of those three because he was a genuine international Class batsman.

Taylor only got selected when Knott was banned for defecting to Kerry Packer.

Wasim Bari was just like Bob Taylor. Astonishingly good keeper. Terrible batsman.

Have I found a fellow Wicket keeping historian and person as obsessed as me about Wicket keeping...

 

[moghul]

Bob Taylor was regarded as the best in terms of that

Yes, Taylor was equally good as Knott but Alan was much better batsman. Both Bari and Taylor loved keeping and only keeping, not batting.

 

[Junaids]

Have I found a fellow Wicket keeping historian and person as obsessed as me about Wicket keeping...

Don’t get me started about it. I’m likely to head off into discussing people like Godfrey Evans whom I never even saw!

I do think Rizwan is very good - I though Sarfraz was good when he was fit - but I just worry with Rizwan.

I think Pakistan has better depth in keepers - Rizwan, Sarfraz, Rohail - than batsmen, and I fear that they need Rizwan more as a top order batsman.

I am a hypocrite about that though, because I used to get very upset when Moin Khan was handed the gloves ahead of Rashid Latif.

 

[Major]

I can excuse all his drops but the ones off Taylor in the 11’ WC were inexcusable.

that was on Akhtar.

Yes, Kamran dropped him. But Akhtar bowled terribly.

There is this notion with bowlers that once a player drops a catch, the bowler himself cannot be blamed afterwards for any phainty they get. Akhtar was attacked all over the park and was rightly dropped against india.

Besides, i could excuse the 11 WC catch. What really ****** me off was the sydney test where hussey was dropped 4 times. WE should had won that match.

 

[ManFan]

that was on Akhtar.

Yes, Kamran dropped him. But Akhtar bowled terribly.

There is this notion with bowlers that once a player drops a catch, the bowler himself cannot be blamed afterwards for any phainty they get. Akhtar was attacked all over the park and was rightly dropped against india.

Besides, i could excuse the 11 WC catch. What really ****** me off was the sydney test where hussey was dropped 4 times. WE should had won that match.

It’s selective memory. Akhtar had one bad over but that’s what we all remember because of the shock factor.

Nobody remembers that Razzaq had 4 overs go for 49 runs. Or Abdur Rehman had 10 for 60 or Afridi 10 for 55 (high economy rate at that time).

Sort of like Waqar in 96’, we remember the last two overs and not the fact that Aaqib went for the same amount of runs with one less wicket.

Point is, Kami was, is, and will always be a horrendous wicketkeeper.

 

[MenInG]

74 years old today - Happy Birthday Wasim Bari

 

[MenInG]

Happy Birthday to Bari Sahib - 75 years old.

The quintessential 'keeper batter - the one that many generations of Pakistani gloveman wanted to emulate.

 

[bujhee kom]

I am probably the only person posting to have seen him play. He was a wonderful keeper. His movements were efficient and his glovework smooth. Best pure keeper Pk ever produced, and in the top few of alltime.
If he could have averaged 30 with the bat, he'd be in alltime xi's pre Gilly.

 

[moghul]

Many experts regard him the best ever . Never heard he dropped any catch or missed a stumping chance. He played his cricket when there were some all time great keepers around and he was considered the best among them . I'm talking about Allan Knot and Taylor of England, Marsh from Australia , Kirmani from India and Murray and later Dujon from WI.

He was a pure keeper, always working on his keeping skill and never bothered much about batting . many thought he didn't need any practice , he was born with wonderful reflexes and anticipation . He would take the catch on front of 2nd slip with ease .

 

[Kianig89]

Not watched Baari so cant comment, but if you talk about the worst then its a long list

Kamran Akmal
Dinesh Ramdin
Carlton Baugh
Mark Boucher
Ian Healy

 

[moghul]

Not watched Baari so cant comment, but if you talk about the worst then its a long list

Kamran Akmal
Dinesh Ramdin
Carlton Baugh
Mark Boucher
Ian Healy

Do you really follow a game called cricket. Ian Healy is also one of the ATG keepers , same goes to Mark Butcher .

 

[Major]

Rizwan is amongst the best now. terrific keeper

 

[gibsyhesperis]

I am probably the only person posting to have seen him play. He was a wonderful keeper. His movements were efficient and his glovework smooth. Best pure keeper Pk ever produced, and in the top few of alltime.
If he could have averaged 30 with the bat, he'd be in alltime xi's pre Gilly.

It makes two of us !
For what it’s worth, Knott regarded Bari as one of the best.
Bob Taylor was regarded as the best keeper but missed out a lot because of his batting.
The game has evolved and it is now the era of the wicketkeeper also having to be an all rounder and being able to bat — Gilchrist, Stewart etc.