The greatest left arm fast bowler (part 5 career statistics)
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755. He played the game as hard as anybody. He is rated by many as the greatest left-arm fast bowler to have graced the game of cricket.
Wasim made his ODI debut against the touring http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 side in 1984. He went for 31 runs in four overs in a match, which was reduced to 20 overs. His talent was seen in the first class match against New Zealand, picking up 7/50. He made his debut against
New Zealand in 1985 at http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Auckland-c766. In only his 2nd Test match in Dunedin; he showed why he has been picked to play at this level. He took match figures of 10/128.
In Test match cricket he has an exceptional record. The left-armer has taken 414 wickets in 104 test matches at an impressive average of 23. His 414 wickets is record by a Pakistani bowler. He played his last test match against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, and went wicket-less.
His first test victim was John Wright, and his 400th victim was http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Russell-c87177 Arnold. He has taken 25 five-wicket hauls, and has 5 ten-wicket hauls to his name. His best match figures are 11/110, and best innings figures are 7/119.
Wasim played 41 matches at home and took 154 wickets at an amazing average of 22 with 8 five-wicket hauls, his best being 6/48. On these dead and docile wickets, this is an exceptional record. Bowlers have to rely on the old ball to reverse.
In 63 test matches he has played away from home, he has fared really well. Wasim has an amazing tally of 255 wickets at an impressive average of 24 with 17 five-wicket-hauls, his best being 7/119.
He wasn’t a bunny with the bat. He has scored 2898 at an average of 22 with three test hundreds. A best of 257 not-out clearly shows his potential with the bat. An average of 22 with the bat shows his injustice to his batting talent. His monumental effort
of 257 not-out against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 is the best score by a batsman batting at number 8, in the history of test cricket.
He is rated by Wisden as “The Bible of Cricket,” as the greatest bowler in the history of ODI cricket. He has an exceptional ODI record. He was the first bowler to reach 300, 400 and 500 wickets in ODI cricket. He was the leading wicket-taker in ODIs, until
Murali overtook him. Nick Statham in the 2003 world cup edged one back onto his stumps to give Wasim his 500th ODI wicket. In all, he has 502 ODI victims at an average of 23 with 6 five-wicket hauls, and a best of 5/14. In the final overs of an
ODI innings, Wasim was a treat to watch with his toe crushing Yorkers and deceptive slower deliveries. An economy rate of 3.89 for a bowler shows who bowls at the end shows how effective he was at the death.
He has played some crucial knocks in ODI cricket. The left-arm hitter has an average of 16, but this does not matter because he has mostly batted at number 8 position. A quick fire 25 or 30 was always on the cards in the final overs, when he was batting.
A strike rate of 88 with 6 half centuries, batting at number 8 position is a clear evidence of him being a reasonable batsman.
He was the first bowler to take 400 victims in both forms of the game, only Murali has bettered that. His four hat-tricks are the most by any bowler in international cricket. He is the only bowler to take back-to-back hat-ricks in test cricket, and two
hat-ricks in ODIs. He alongside, Chris Old and MJC Allom is the only bowler to take 4 wickets in 5 balls.
A splendid career that has spanned over 19 years is worth watching. An exciting genius, who has the ability to change the fate of the game, hand him the bat and the ball in his hand and he will win you a match.
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