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Full name Imran Khan Niazi
Born November 25, 1952, Lahore, Punjab
Current age 55 years 243 days
Major teams Pakistan,Dawood Club,Lahore,New South Wales,Oxford University,Pakistan International Airlines,Sussex,Worcestershire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Other Administrator
Relations Cousin - Javed Burki,Cousin - Majid Khan
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
6s
Ct
St
Tests
88
126
25
3807
136
37.69
6
18
55
28
0
ODIs
175
151
40
3709
102*
33.41
5105
72.65
1
19
36
0
First-class
382
582
99
17771
170
36.79
30
93
117
0
List A
425
384
80
10100
114*
33.22
5
66
84
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
88
142
19458
8258
362
8/58
14/116
22.81
2.54
53.7
17
23
6
ODIs
175
153
7461
4844
182
6/14
6/14
26.61
3.89
40.9
3
1
0
First-class
382
65224
28726
1287
8/34
22.32
2.64
50.6
70
13
List A
425
19122
11312
507
6/14
6/14
22.31
3.54
37.7
12
6
0
Career statistics
Test debut
England v Pakistan at Birmingham, Jun 3-8, 1971 scorecard
Last Test
Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Faisalabad, Jan 2-7, 1992 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
England v Pakistan at Nottingham, Aug 31, 1974 scorecard
Last ODI
England v Pakistan at Melbourne, Mar 25, 1992 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class span
1969/70 - 1991/92
List A span
1973 - 1991/92
Profile
Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heart-throb. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s. As such he and TV completed the popularisation of the game in his country which Hanif Mohammad and the radio had begun. Thousands, if not millions, who had never dreamt of bowling fast on heartless baked mud suddenly wanted to emulate Imran and his lithe bounding run, his leap and his reverse-swinging yorker. He also made himself into an allrounder worth a place for his batting alone, and captained Pakistan as well as anyone, rounding off his career with the 1992 World Cup. He played hardly any domestic cricket in Pakistan: instead he just flew in for home series from Worcestershire or Sussex, or rather from the more fashionable London salons. His averages (37 with the bat, 22 with the ball) put him at the top of the quartet of allrounders (Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev being the others) who dominated Test cricket in the 1980s. And whereas Botham declined steadily, Imran just got better and better: in his last ten years of international cricket he played 51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He gave no quarter during some memorable battles with West Indies - Pakistan drew three series with them at a time when everybody else was being bounced out of sight - and he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, taking 10 for 77 with an imperious display in the decisive victory at Headingley. After retirement he remained a high-profile figure, with his marriage - and subsequent split with - the socialite Jemima Goldsmith and a not entirely successful move into the labyrinthine world of Pakistan politics.
Martin Williamson
Notes
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1983 Played for New South Wales 1984-85
