Pakistani Cricket Players Biography Wallpapers Pics : 2017

Wednesday, 18 January 2017

Abdul Razzaq

Abdul Razzaq biography

source (google.com)

Abdul Razzaq came into the Pakistan side at the young age of 17 as a genuine fast bowler who could bat a bit. But over the years, he has developed into an exploding batting option, while his bowling has not been as quick as it once used to be. His ability to swing the ball both ways and the power and versatility he brings with the bat made him grow as one of Pakistan's premier all rounders after the legendary Imran Khan. Razzaq made him ODI debut in 1996 against Zimbabwe and soon became a regular in the limited overs version of the game. However, he had to wait for his opportunities in Test cricket, which finally arrived 3 years later against Australia in 1999.

His techniques and suitability to Test cricket was always questioned, but the same batting style helped him grow from strength to strength in the ODI format. His all-round abilities came to the fore in the tri- series involving Australia and India at Australia in 2000, where he emerged as the Man of the Series.

Though not as successful in the Test format, Razzaq would often chip in with useful contributions. In 2000, he became the youngest cricketer in the world to take a Test hat-trick when he performed the feat in a match against Sri Lanka. A minor slump in form with the bat and a steady decline in pace with the ball saw Razzaq become a support bowler post 2002. Although his place in the ODI squad was never questioned, calls for his head from the Test team grew louder . But Razzaq found his form and pace back post 2005, when he scored 205 runs and took 9 wickets against India in 2 Test matches.

Things became worse for Razzaq in 2007, when a knee injury forced him out of Pakistan's World Cup squad. If that was not enough, he was dropped from the Pakistan team for the inaugural World T20 championship owing to poor form. He announced his retirement in protest and revoked his decision a few months later. He also signed up for the Hyderabad Heroes to play in the Indian Cricket League and became a 'rebel cricketer'. He eventually severed ties with the ICL and returned to play for Pakistan in the 2009 T20 championship, where his all - round skills played a part in Pakistan's successful campaign.

Razzaq became a regular member of the ODI squads and became a part of Pakistan's plans for the 2011 World Cup. He was in great form going into the tournament, as he enjoyed good success against South Africa and New Zealand in the pre - World Cup season. It included a match-winning unbeaten 109 off just 72 balls against South Africa in Abu Dhabi. However, he didn't enjoy much success at the World Cup, and was dropped from the squad to play against the West Indies. Although he was dropped from the ODI side, Razzaq continued playing T20Is, he was part of the squad that played the 2012 T20 WC. During a T20I series against South Africa, he injured himself and was ruled out of the forthcoming return series. Since then he has found it difficult to get back into the team and was even overlooked for the 2014 T20 WC.

Interesting facts: Abdul Razzaq was addicted to spinach, earning him the tag 'popeye' amongst his teammates.

In the 2003 World Cup, Razzaq dropped Sachin Tendulkar off Wasim Akram's bowling. 'Do you know whose catch you have dropped?' asked an irate Akram. Sachin went on to play a match winning knock of 98 runs.

Abdul Razzaq

Abdul Razzaq

Abdul Razzaq

Kamran Akmal

Kamran Akmal biography

source (google.com)

International career
He is a quick-scoring batsman and a wicket-keeper, who has achieved 6 centuries in Test innings. However, his first century was vital - his 109 from the number eight position at Mohali, coming in with Pakistan in a lead of 39 against India in the first Test, ensured that the visitors could draw the match. His form against the touring English in 2005 made him one of the most important players in the team. Naturally, he is a batsman that plays lower down the order but has sometimes opened in both Test and One-day cricket. As an opener he has scored two back to back centuries in ODIs against England. Coming in lower down the order in Test matches, he played one memorable innings. He saved Pakistan from a score of 39/6, scoring a century, to a competitive 245 which helped Pakistan win the match and the series.

His batting was highly productive in early 2006 as he scored seven international hundreds within the space of 6 months. Since his tour of England in Summer 2006 however his batting form dwindled and steadily become worse. His wicket-keeping also worsened and dropped many catches on both the England tour and on a tour to South Africa in early 2007. He then scored an international hundred in the Bangladeshi tour of Pakistan in 2008. He later moved to have some injuries and did not play for some days but later he was again brought into the team.

Akmal was dropped for the Asia Cup 2008 as a result of his poor wicket-keeping. He was replaced by Sarfraz Ahmed who performed very well at the domestic level and also because of Sarfraz's strong showing in the U-19 World Cup. Akmal was named in the 30 man probable squad for the 2008 ICC Champions Trophy.

Akmal was part of the Pakistan team that won the T20 World Cup in 2009. He was notable for his quick stumpings, dismissing 4 batsmen in one match against Netherlands.

On 12 November 2008, Akmal hit two consecutive 6s in the last over. As a result Pakistan won the first ODI in Abu Dhabi against West Indies.

On 17 July 2010, Akmal was appointed the vice-captain of the Pakistani test squad but later removed because of his alleged involvement in spot fixing.

Match fixing allegations
In the 2nd Test match on the 2009-10 tour of Australia, Akmal dropped four catches in the Australian innings, three of those coming from Michael Hussey. Hussey went on to score 134* and was involved in a massive 9th wicket partnership stand of 133 runs with Peter Siddle. Pakistan eventually went on to lose the match by 36 runs, after being dismissed for just 139 in the second innings. Later it was alleged that he, along with pace bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were involved in match fixing, and were questioned by Pakistan Cricket Board and subsequently dropped for the twenty20 series against England.

In early September 2010 The International Cricket Council sent an official notice to Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal telling him that he is under investigation for allegedly fixing the Sydney Test. For the subsequent series against South Africa in October 2010 Akmal had an operation to remove his appendix and was unavailable for the limited-overs squad. Akmal was able to recover from the operation to participate in the two-match test series but Zulqarnain Haider was selected ahead of him Another reason also emerged that Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin and Yasir Hameed were not selected for the tour due to the fact that suspicions were raised that they were involved with the spot-fixing scandal that included Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. Another player Wahab Riaz was under investigation for fixing but the ICC had interrogated him and he was no longer part of the investigation therefore he was allowed to take part on the tour of South Africa that included two Twenty20 Internationals, five ODI matches and two Test matches. Though this has not been confirmed by the board, it is believed that the reason they were not picked was that the suspicion had not been cleared. The ICC confirmed that Akmal had been barred from entering the team. Once his investigation was completed he was available for national selection.

Wicket-keeping
Kamran Akmal has been constantly criticized for his lack of consistent wicket-keeping. After another horrendous series behind the stumps against Sri Lanka in January 2009 journalists and former players called for his removal from the national team. His wicket-keeping steadily improved, with a very strong showing in the 2009 T20 World Cup, including a world-record performance of four stumpings in a single match against the Netherlands. However during the second test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground he dropped four catches, including three chances from Michael Hussey in one session on Day 4. Hussey went on to score a match winning century with the Pakistan team losing in a shock result after dominating the first three days of play. He was subsequently dropped for the third test, being replaced by Sarfraz Ahmed. After this tour Akmal saw a steady improvement in his wicket-keeping for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20, 2010 Asia Cup and against Australia in July 2010 however the next test series against England saw Akmal drop three easy catches and miss a stumping. The match as a consolation saw Akmal take a superb catch of Kevin Pietersen before dropping a catch on the very next ball against Paul Collingwood. In the first innings Akmal dropped a catch of Eoin Morgan when he was on 23 who then went on to score 130. Despite having another keeper, Zulqarnain Haider, in the squad, Pakistani captain Salman Butt announced it was too early in the series as only one match had been played to decide the fate of Kamran Akmal. However the team decided to give him a break and placed in reserve-keeper Zulqarnain Haider; Haider scored a match-saving 88 in the second innings. However a finger injury ruled him out for the fourth test and the rest of the series. Therefore Akmal returned.

Personal life
Akmal has two brothers, Adnan Akmal and Umar Akmal, who are also professional cricketers. The former being a keeper-batsman and the latter being a batting all-rounder. He married in 2006 and lives with his wife, Aaiza, and their young daughter. He is a graduate of Beaconhouse School System Garden Town,Lahore. On 14 November 2010 it emerged that Akmal and his family had been robbed at gunpoint. The family were heading to wedding near their home when two unidentified people came and held them at gunpoint. The family were safe but the robbers ran away with a thousand dollar diamond ring, jewellery, expensive watches and cash

IPL career
Akmal was signed on to the Rajasthan Royals, and played in the inaugural season of the IPL. He played five matches in the tournament, as wicket-keeper and top-order batsman, including the final of the tournament against the Chennai Super Kings. He took two catches in the first innings, however he was run out for six runs during the Royal's chase. The Royals went on to win the tournament after a thrilling finish. He did not play in 2009 because Pakistani players were not allowed to participate as a result of the tense atmosphere after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Kamran Akmal

Umar Gull

Umar Gull biography

source (google.com)

Lean and wiry, Umar Gul is yet another exceptional fast bowling talent to have emerged out of Pakistan in recent times. Unlike Asif and Akhtar who had their careers ruined by controversies, Gul has always maintained a clean profile and has shied away from any such mischief. It may come as a surprise to many that he has managed to last so long in such a fractious team set-up without ever getting noticed, but that trait has so far proved very productive for Gul.

Hailing from the North-Western Frontier Province in Peshawar, Gul is of the Pashto tribe. He made his name by playing tape ball cricket at an early age and signalled his arrival on the big stage by demolishing a strong Indian batting line-up in a test at Lahore during the historic 2003-04 series. That performance unveiled a new talent to the world, but his career was immediately put on hold as he had to undergo surgery for three stress fractures in the back which kept him out of cricket for nearly two years.

An impeccable line and length bowler, Gul's accuracy and his ability to hit the seam are his strengths. When the ball gets older, he is deadly and there is no better bowler in the world at the death than Gul. His assortment of slower deliveries, mixed with toe crushing yorkers have destroyed oppositions most notably in the shortest version of the game where he has enjoyed tremendous success.

After making a comeback to the Pakistan side in 2006, he established himself as the spearhead of the attack. With Asif, Aamer and Akhtar bowing out of the team in one way or the other, Gul was thrust the mantle of leading the attack. His best performances came in the T20 World Cup in England when he annihilated New Zealand with a spell of 5/6; the best ever T20 bowling performance of all time. He helped Pakistan secure a finals spot in the tournament and eventually in winning it in 2008.

Gul played for the Kolkata Knight Riders during the opening edition of the IPL and has represented the Western Australia Warriors in the Big Bash. He also has played for the Sussex Sharks in the Friends Provident T20 competition. In 2012, Gul became a part of the the opening edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League for Uva Next aiding them to win the T20 League.

Gul also established himself as a handy batsman down the order for his ability to score quick runs. In a Test match against England in 2010, Gul came in to bat at no.8 when Pakistan were 103/7. He helped them avoid the follow-on and stayed on till the end scoring 65 not out. Fitness issues forced Gul out of the team frequently after that. Gul had a decent series against Sri Lanka in December 2013 picking up 9 wickets in 4 games. His 2014 Asia Cup campaign was not too impressive either. He had a good T20 WC in Bangladesh, where he scalped 6 wickets in 4 games but this effort went in vain as Pakistan did not go through to the semi-finals.

With the rise of new young pacers and battling frequent injuries, Gul has found it difficult to maintain his usual place in the squad in recent times. Yet one cannot deny that Gul possesses the ability to confound the batsmen with his outswingers and unplayable yorkers.

MORE: Umar Gul is a Pakistani right arm fast medium bowler in cricket who has played Test matches, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals for the Pakistani cricket team. Gul was first called up for the team in April 2003, playing four one-day matches at the Cherry Blossom Sharjah Cup againstZimbabwe, Kenya and Sri Lanka, where he took four wickets, and he was in and out of the one-day team after that tournament. He played the whole of the 2003–04 home series against Bangladesh and took the second-most wickets of any Pakistani bowler in the series. Gul was retained for the ODIs against Bangladesh, taking a List A best five for 17 in nine overs in the third match, and ended with 11 wickets in the 5–0 series win. In 2006, against West Indies at home, Gul had perhaps his most successful test series. He took 16 wickets in 3 tests, including notable spells of reverse swing bowling. In the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, he performed excellently, earning the mantle from at least one pundit of "the outstanding seam bowler of the World Twenty20". He was also part of the Pakistan team that lifted the trophy at Lord's while also finishing as the leading wicket taker of the tournament for the second consecutive time. In February 2008, Gul signed with the Indian Premier League and was drafted by Shahrukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders franchise for US $150,000. He played in six matches, taking 12 wickets at an average of 15.33, including a player of the match award in Kolkata's final game in which Gul took 4-23 and scored 24 runs from 11 balls. Internationally, Gul has taken 47 wickets in just 32 games at an average of 14.65, a truly outstanding statistic. He is the second leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 Internationals.

Umar Gull