Waqar Younis facts for kids
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Waqar Younis at the launch of PSL in 2015
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| Full name |
Waqar Younis Maitla
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| Born | 16 November 1971 Vehari, Punjab, Pakistan |
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| Nickname | Toe Crusher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Aliya Riaz (sister-in-law) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 111) | 15 November 1989 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 2 January 2003 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 71) | 14 October 1989 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 4 March 2003 v Zimbabwe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 99 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987/88–1997/98 | Multan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988/89–1996/97 | United Bank Limited | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1993 | Surrey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Glamorgan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998/99 | Karachi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Rawalpindi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999/2000 | REDCO Pakistan Limited | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000/01 | Lahore Blues | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001/02–2002/03 | National Bank of Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Warwickshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003/04 | Allied Bank Limited | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source: ESPNCricinfo, 21 April 2012
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Waqar Younis Maitla is a famous Pakistani cricket coach, commentator, and former player. He was once the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Many people think he is one of the best bowlers of all time. He also served as the head coach for the Pakistani cricket team.
Waqar Younis was part of the team that finished as runners-up in the 1999 Cricket World Cup. He holds the record for being the youngest Pakistani Test captain ever. He is also the fourth youngest Test captain in cricket history, taking on the role at just 22 years and 15 days old.
He played 87 Test matches and 262 One Day International (ODI) matches for Pakistan. His international career lasted from 1989 to 2003. Waqar was known for his special skill of making the cricket ball swing in the air at high speed, a technique called reverse swing.
He took 373 Test wickets and 416 One Day International wickets during his career. Along with his bowling partner Wasim Akram, they formed one of the most feared bowling attacks in the world. Waqar Younis is also the youngest bowler to take 400 wickets in ODI cricket.
He has been a bowling coach for the national team and later became the head coach. In 2019, he was again appointed as Pakistan's bowling coach.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Growing Up and Education
Waqar Younis was born on November 16, 1971, in Burewala, Vehari district, Punjab, Pakistan. He grew up in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, where his father worked.
He attended a boarding school in Lahore for about three years. Later, he studied at Sadiq Public School in Bahawalpur and then at Government College in Burewala. He focused on arts and economics in his studies.
Young Athlete
During his school and college days, Waqar was a talented all-around athlete. He enjoyed running, javelin throwing, high jumping, and pole-vaulting in different sports events. He started playing cricket as a leg-spinner before choosing to become a fast bowler.
His Family
Since 2000, Waqar has been married to Faryal, who is a doctor. They live in Castle Hill, New South Wales, Australia, and have three children: two daughters and a son.
His younger brother, Ali Younis, is a cricket commentator. Ali is married to cricketer Aliya Riaz, making her Waqar's sister-in-law.
Cricket Commentary Work
After his playing career, Waqar Younis worked as a television sports commentator. He has commentated for the Nine Network in Australia and for Ten Sports in the United Arab Emirates.
Cricket Career Highlights
Starting His Cricket Journey
Waqar Younis began his cricket career in Pakistan in 1987/88. He played for several first-class cricket clubs and got his first big chance with the Multan under-19 team.
He had an injury where he lost a small finger on his left hand after jumping into a canal. But he recovered and continued his cricket journey. He was soon noticed by former Pakistan captain, Imran Khan, who helped him join the national team. Waqar had only played six first-class games when he was picked for the Pakistan team.
Playing for Clubs
English cricket fans first saw Waqar's amazing talent in the early 1990s when he played for Surrey. In 1991, he took 113 wickets for Surrey, showing he was one of the best bowlers around.
He later helped Glamorgan win the English County Championship in 1997. In one match, he took 7 wickets for only 25 runs against Lancashire, which included a hat-trick.
International Debut
Waqar Younis made his international cricket debut for Pakistan against India on November 16, 1989. This was the same match where Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar also made his debut. Waqar took 4 wickets in that match, including those of Tendulkar and Kapil Dev.
He quickly became known for his speed and was nicknamed "Wiki" or the "Burewala Express." Waqar and Wasim Akram often opened the bowling attack for Pakistan, forming a very strong and feared partnership. He achieved a hat-trick in a One Day International match against New Zealand in 1994.
He briefly stayed out of the Pakistan team in the early 2000s. When he returned, he was made captain of Pakistan. He faced some challenges regarding how the ball was handled, which led to a temporary ban from one international match in 2000. He was the first player to be disciplined in this way.
During the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Waqar faced another issue. In a match against Australia, he was stopped from bowling after delivering a dangerous high ball (a beamer) to Andrew Symonds. Pakistan did not do well in that tournament, winning only two matches. After the World Cup, he stepped down as captain and was no longer selected for international matches.
Waqar announced his retirement from all cricket in April 2004, after a career of almost 15 years. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in Test cricket, with 373 wickets.
Coaching Career
In March 2006, Waqar was appointed as Pakistan's bowling coach. He resigned in January 2007 because he felt he was not being kept for all matches. He was re-appointed as bowling and fielding coach for Pakistan's tour of Australia in December 2009.
In March 2010, Waqar became the head coach of Pakistan. His first big task was to lead a young Pakistan team in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. He guided the team to the semi-finals, where they lost to Australia.
He also coached the team during the 2010 Asia Cup and a tour of England. During the England tour, Pakistan won a Test match against Australia for the first time in 15 years. This tour was followed by some difficult times for the team.
Waqar led Pakistan in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The team played very well, winning 5 out of 6 group matches and topping their group. They beat West Indies in the quarter-finals but lost to India in the semi-finals. Waqar stepped down as Pakistan coach in August 2011.
In March 2013, he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad as their bowling coach for the Indian Premier League 2013 season. In May 2014, Waqar was again appointed as the head coach of the Pakistan Cricket team for two years.
Waqar resigned from this role on April 4, 2016. He felt that the cricket board did not follow his advice and leaked a private report. He later became a mentor for Sylhet Sixers in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2017 and then their head coach. After the Cricket World Cup 2019, Waqar was reappointed as bowling coach of the Pakistan Cricket team for a fourth time.
2016 ICC World Twenty20
Waqar Younis faced criticism after Pakistan did not reach the semi-finals of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. He said he was ready to retire if needed, but also pointed out the lack of international cricket in Pakistan.
He later wrote a report for the PCB about the team's performance. This report was leaked to the media, which made Waqar very upset. He said the report was private and that the PCB was making him look like the "bad guy." He felt the PCB might have leaked the report themselves.
In the report, he mentioned that some players were not serious enough or had hidden injuries. He also said that the team lost the Asia Cup in February 2016 because they were "unfit." He blamed "poor captaincy" from Shahid Afridi. Waqar later posted on Twitter, "no one wants to hear the truth."
On April 4, 2016, Waqar resigned as Head Coach. He said the PCB had used him as a "scapegoat" and made him look like a "villain" by leaking the report. He stepped down three months before his contract ended. He said his salary should be used to help domestic cricket. Waqar felt he had tried his best to improve the team, but his recommendations were not handled well by the PCB.
Playing Style
Master of Reverse Swing
Waqar Younis was one of several Pakistani fast bowlers who were very good at bowling reverse swing. He often opened the bowling attack with Wasim Akram in the 1990s. Cricket experts believe Waqar and Akram formed one of the most effective fast bowling partnerships ever. This was because they could swing the ball at high speed.
Waqar explained that he could make an old ball reverse swing by keeping one side shiny and the other side rough. This made the ball move in the opposite direction to normal swing. This skill allowed Waqar to bowl both inswingers and outswingers, helping him and Akram take many wickets. His fastest recorded delivery was 153 km/h (95.1 mph) against South Africa in 1993. He was also good at bowling bouncers (short-pitched deliveries).
After Pakistan's win against England in 1992, the English media were unsure about reverse swing. It was a new technique then, and some critics thought it was unfair. However, cricket officials found no wrongdoing, and reverse swing is now an accepted skill in cricket.
His Influence on Other Bowlers
Lasith Malinga, a fast bowler from Sri Lanka, learned to bowl his famous yorkers by watching Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. Malinga became the first bowler in World Cup history to take two hat-tricks.
Waqar Younis was sometimes called the "Banana Swing Bowler." This was because of his special way of swinging the ball in the air at very high speed before it hit the ground. Many of his hat-tricks involved these unplayable "banana swing" balls.
A Small Criticism
Even though he was a great fast bowler, Waqar sometimes bowled too many runs. He didn't always have the same steady accuracy as bowlers like Curtly Ambrose or Glenn McGrath. This might have been partly because his former captain, Imran Khan, encouraged aggressive and fast bowling.
Legacy and Awards
Usain Bolt's Hero
Usain Bolt, the world's fastest sprinter from Jamaica, once said that Waqar Younis was one of his childhood heroes. Bolt said, "When I was really small I loved the Pakistan cricket team. Waqar Younis was one of the greatest bowlers ever, and I was a bowler so I really enjoyed watching him." He even said he would have supported Pakistan over his home team, the West Indies, when he was little.
ICC Hall of Fame
Waqar Younis was added to the ICC Hall of Fame on December 9, 2013. He was the 70th male player to be inducted. He joined other famous Pakistani cricketers like Hanif Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, and Wasim Akram. Waqar said it was a "huge honour" to be recognized in this way.
Awards and Records
- Waqar has the second-best strike rate in Test cricket for bowlers who have bowled at least 10,000 balls.
- He was named among the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1992.
- He is the only bowler to take 5 wickets in an innings in 3 consecutive One Day International matches.
- He reached 300, 350, and 400 wickets in One Day International matches faster than any other bowler, based on the number of balls bowled.
- Waqar scored 1010 Test match runs without scoring a fifty, which is a unique achievement for a non-batsman.
- He holds the record for the best strike rate for any bowler with over 350 Test wickets.
- Waqar Younis holds the record for the best bowling figures as a captain in an ODI (7 wickets for 36 runs). He was also the first captain to take 7 wickets in an ODI innings.
- He holds the record for scoring the most career ODI runs when batting at number 10 (478 runs).
- He is the youngest bowler ever to take a five-wicket haul in an ODI innings (at 18 years and 164 days old).
- He holds the record for taking the most 4-wicket hauls in ODI cricket (27 times).
- He is the only bowler to take 3 consecutive five-wicket hauls in terms of innings. He is also the only player to achieve this milestone three times.
Taking Five Wickets in an Innings
Waqar Younis has taken five or more wickets in an innings 22 times in Test cricket. In One Day International matches, he has taken five-wicket hauls 13 times, which is the most by any bowler.
See also
In Spanish: Waqar Younis para niños
