OTD | Pakistan’s pace sensation Waqar Younis was born in 1971

On this day in 1971, a legendary bowler from Pakistan, Waqar Younis was born in Vehari, Punjab. Talking about his domestic cricket, he played for Lahore, Karachi, and Multan. During his playing days, department cricket used to exist (abolished in 2018). Younis played for National Bank of Pakistan and Redco Pakistan. Meanwhile, the right-arm pacer made his Test debut alongside the man who also turned out to be a legend of the game, i.e. Sachin Tendulkar.

During his time with Pakistan, he played 87 Tests, 262 ODIs and seven T20s at the domestic level. Notably, alongside his long-time bowling partner, Wasim Akram, played the opening season of the T20 Blast in England, the stepping stone of the shortest format of the game. Younis was known for his inswing yorkers and reverse swing with the old ball.

However, some fans also remember him getting battered by Ajay Jadeja in the famous 1996 quarterfinal game against India. The former also captained the team after Akram had to step down in the early 2000s. However, Younis’ possibly the worst highlight of his career was the 2003 World Cup, his farewell from international cricket.

Apparently, the team bowed out of the tournament in the first round despite having one of the best sides in their history. After taking 416 (ODIs) and 373 (Tests) wickets, took retirement from the game. After bidding adieu to the game, he served as Pakistan head coach and bowled across different stints. 

Also, the former Surrey player worked as a bowling coach for Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first season in the IPL in 2013. Apart from coaching, he has worked as a broadcaster across the globe. His recent stint as a commentator was the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023.