http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saeed-Anwar-c87864 - a legendary Pakistan opener
Saeed Anwar, a former top order batsman of Pakistan, is one of the best opening batsmen the World had seen in the 1990’s. With a tremendous eye, excellent timing and super aggressive approach to batting, he had the ability to annihilate bowling attack of
any class on his day.
Born on September 6, 1968, is an NED graduate and an engineer by profession. He graduated from NED University of Karachi, a renowned engineering university in Pakistan, in 1989 and was planning to go to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Usa-c759 for a Master’s degree in engineering before becoming
a professional cricketer.
Saeed Anwar made his maiden International appearance the same year he completed his engineering degree from the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 at Perth on January 1, 1989. The next year Anwar made
his first Test appearance against the same Caribbean opposition but this time at home. It was a Test match between Pakistan and West Indies played at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, where the debutant Anwar made a “king pair”.
The left-hander then struggled for a permanent place in the side for the next three years before earning a spot in the national team in late 1993. Anwar had started his career as a middle-order batsman, however the then captain of Pakistan cricket team,
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-Khan-c64237 the great, had suggested him to move up the order and open the innings for the side.
The stylish left-hander then started playing as an opener in the domestic games of Pakistan cricket and made a comeback to the national side as a specialist opener. Initially he was recognised as a tremendous one day player but as his career proceeded he
developed into a brilliant Test batsman, who after getting settled on the crease used to score quickly and all over the field.
He played 55 Tests and 247 One Day Internationals for the Pakistan cricket team during a cricketing career which spans over 14 years. In the Test cricket, the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lynette-Ann-Fullston-c73358 scored 4052 runs at an average of 45.52, including eleven centuries and twenty five half
centuries.
Anwar, an attacking one day opener, compiled 8824 ODI runs from 247 international appearances averaging 39.21. His tally of 8824 ODI runs was laced with 20 hundreds and 43 fifties, including a career best of 194 against arch rivals http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. Saeed Anwar made
World's Best Opening Pair in any form of the game, along with his partner, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Aamer-Sohail-c41418.
The veteran faced a personal tragedy in August 2001 when his daughter died after a prolonged illness. He took a break from international following that tragedy. Anwar was not that aggressive when he made a comeback to the international cricket, however he
was one of the most consistent of Pakistan batters in the disastrous 2003 World Cup campaign.
The prolific batsman announced retirement from the International cricket on August, 15 2003 after being overlooked for Pakistan’s home series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ramiz-Hasan-Raja-c83872, a former Pakistan captain and fellow opener was the PCB chief executive when Anwar announced retirement. Raja paid him the much deserving tribute saying, “He was perhaps the most naturally gifted player that Pakistan ever had.”
The tragic death of Anwar’s baby daughter in 2001 had made him a religious man and after bidding farewell to the cricket, the legendary opening batsman devoted his life to preaching Islam across Pakistan with the Tablighi Jamaat.
Article sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeed_Anwar#cite_note-4
http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/42605.html
http://www.espncricinfo.com/http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755/content/story/124950.html
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