Asif Iqbal (Pakistani cricketer)

Asif Iqbal Razvi (Urdu: آصف اقبال رضوی, born 6 June 1943) is a former Pakistani professional cricketer who captained the Pakistan national cricket team and Kent County Cricket Club. He went on to become a match referee.

Asif Iqbal
Personal information
Full name
Asif Iqbal Razvi
Born (1943-06-06) 6 June 1943
Hyderabad, Hyderabad State, British India
(now in Telangana, India)
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleAll-rounder
RelationsShammi Iqbal (son)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 42)24 October 1964 v Australia
Last Test29 January 1980 v India
ODI debut (cap 1)11 February 1973 v New Zealand
Last ODI20 June 1979 v West Indies
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1959–1961Hyderabad
1961–1969Karachi
1964–1980Pakistan International Airlines
1968–1982Kent
1976–1977National Bank of Pakistan
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 58 10 440 259
Runs scored 3,575 330 23,329 5,989
Batting average 38.85 55.00 37.26 27.98
100s/50s 11/12 0/5 45/118 3/33
Top score 175 62 196 106
Balls bowled 3,864 592 18,899 5,017
Wickets 53 16 291 126
Bowling average 28.33 23.62 30.30 25.96
5 wickets in innings 2 0 5 1
10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0
Best bowling 5/48 4/56 6/45 5/42
Catches/stumpings 36/– 7/– 301/– 101/–
Source: CricInfo, 8 March 2013

Born in Hyderabad,[1] Asif Iqbal is related to former India captain Ghulam Ahmed and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.[2] He played as an all-rounder who batted right-handed batsman and bowled right-arm medium pace deliveries.

Asif played domestically for Hyderabad, Karachi, Kent, National Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan International Airlines.[3] After learning his cricket in Hyderabad, India, he emigrated to Pakistan in 1961, where he opened the bowling with swing bowling before concentrating on batting that was noted for its footwork and cavalier cover-driving.[4] In 1977, he played in World Series Cricket competition for the World XI side.

Asif's Test match debut was against Australia in Karachi in the 1964–1965 series during a match in which he batted at number 10.[5] After developing back problems, Asif began to focus on his batting and gradually worked his way up Pakistan's batting order.

In the series against England in 1967, Asif scored his maiden Test century, making 146 runs batting at number 9 at The Oval, sharing in a then Test record partnership for the ninth wicket with Intikhab Alam.[6] This was also the then highest score by a number 9 batsman in Test matches in England (until exceeded by Stuart Broad in 2010). According to Wisden, when he reached his hundred: "An amazing scene followed. Hundreds of Pakistanis raced to the wicket and hoisted Asif shoulder high. The game was held up for five minutes and when a squad of police rescued him, the poor fellow was bruised and battered".[7] In 1968 he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year and captained Pakistan at the 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cups, leading the team to the semi-finals in 1979. At Test level, he captained Pakistan team in a six Test series against India in 1979/80 before retiring from Test cricket after 58 matches.[8]

With Kent he was part of a successful side which won both the County Championship and the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1978, and the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1973 and 1976, Asif winning the man of the match award for an all-round performance in the 1973 final.[9] He was also man of the match, although appearing on the losing side, in the Gillette Cup final of 1971.[10]

References

  1. "501 not out". ESPN Cricinfo. 6 June 2005. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  2. Sania and the great cricket connection
  3. "Asif Iqbal". Kent County Cricket Club. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  4. When Eden gave standing ovation to Pakistani great Asif Iqbal
  5. Mustafi, Suvajit (6 June 2015). "Asif Iqbal: 15 facts about the former Pakistan skipper". Cricket Country. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  6. Mustafi, Suvajit (6 June 2015). "Asif Iqbal: 15 facts about the former Pakistan skipper". Cricket Country. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  7. "England v Pakistan". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  8. Basu, Anik (19 March 2016). "When Eden gave standing ovation to Pakistani great Asif Iqbal". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  9. "Full Scorecard of Kent vs Worcestershire Final". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  10. "Full Scorecard of Lancashire vs Kent Final". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
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