Imran Khan Niazi was Pakistan’s greatest cricketer. He was a superb fast bowler –– the ‘Sultan of Swing’ –– whose rare gift encompassed his ability to move the ball dangerously. Khan was also a top-class batsman. His defence was well-organised; his hitting power was tremendous. A fine fielder and a great motivator, Khan’s success story as a captain is, in essence, the achievement roll-call of his country’s cricket.
First-Class Debut
Khan made his first-class debut in 1969-70. Recognition, thereafter, was instant. He went to England in 1971 and played his first Test. He stayed back, played for Oxford soon after, and graduated into the county circuit. His rendezvous with glory had begun in earnest.
Predictably, his performances with the ball and bat also became crucial to his side’s success at every level. What’s more, Khan began to improve with every match — sometimes in the matter of the ‘heart’ too, thanks to his dashing, debonair looks.
Khan did not seriously start bowling until he was 17. You wouldn’t believe it. His first remarkable feat under the sun took place against Australia, in Sydney, in January 1977. It was Khan’s coup of sorts. He returned with superb bowling figures of 12 for 165 in the Test, demolishing one of Australia’s most powerful batting line-ups in history.
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