After a long wait, finally, Pakistan cricket team fans could see their favourite cricketers exhibiting a superior show in the upcoming Test series against England which starts from August 05 at the Old Trafford in Manchester.
Recently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shortlisted the 20 players who will be taken into consideration for their three-match Test series against England. Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led the side in 2019 World Cup, has returned to the Test squad along with pacer Wahab Riaz. The left-arm seamer took an indefinite break from red-ball cricket in 2019.
Pakistan is known for producing top-quality bowlers, and the magic of swing and pace bowling will be seen in the upcoming series with some young lads like Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usman Shinwari.
Although, Mohammad Amir had been included in the squad, but he failed to find his place in the top-20 list. He, along with eight other players, would remain in the group and continue to train.
In fact, Amir has taken the maximum number of wickets against England as far as the current lot of Pakistani cricketers are concerned. In 10 games, the 28-year-old has taken 38 scalps with 6/84 being his best.
Today, let’s have a look at five Pakistani bowlers who bagged maximum scalps against England in the longest format of the game:
5.) Imran Khan – 47 wickets
Former Pakistan captain and arguably one of the finest all-rounders of the game, Imran Khan, was indeed a blessing for Pakistan cricket. His charisma, leadership skills, and fast bowling with a mixture of swing made him one of the most prolific cricketers of all-time.
The Lahore-born former international played 88 Tests for Pakistan and earned 362 wickets at 22.81 with 8/58 being his best. When it comes to playing against England, Imran appeared in 12 Tests and claimed 47 scalps with four 5-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul.
4.) Intikhab Alam – 49 wickets
Intikhab Alam was one such cricketer who belongs to the underrated category of players. The India-born-Pakistani cricketer was one of the top-quality spinners of his era. Being an all-rounder, he bowled quality leg-spin and made batsmen dance to his tunes. Alam was equally productive with the use of willow as he had helped his side on several occasions.
The former captain played 47 Tests overall and claimed 125 wickets with 7/52 being his best. He also played for Surrey – an English county club. Playing the county really helped his game as the numbers against England tells the story. Intikhab played 20 Tests against England and bagged 49 wickets.
3.) Waqar Younis – 50 wickets
The man who put the reverse into the swing, Waqar Younis, was undoubtedly one of the most skilful bowlers of all-time. During the 1970s and 1980s, it was a trend of pitching the ball fast and short, but Waqar changed the dynamics of cricket by pitching it quick and full. The reason why he was so successful in doing so was his quality of producing the late inswing, which shattered numerous stumps.
The right-arm fast bowler, played 87 Tests for Pakistan, picking 373 wickets with twenty-two 5-wicket hauls and five 10-wicket hauls. When it comes to performing against England, Waqar bagged 50 scalps in 11 Tests.
2.) Wasim Akram – 57 wickets
Probably, the best left-arm fast bowler of all time, Wasim Akram was another legend who took Pakistan to newer heights. Just like his partner-in-crime Waqar Younis, Wasim too could make the ball walk and talk.
The ‘King of Swing’ appeared in 104 Tests for his nation and bagged 414 wickets at 23.62 with 7/119 being his best. Wasim, who played for Hampshire and Lancashire in English county cricket, took 57 scalps against England in 18 games.
1.) Abdul Qadir – 82 wickets
The man who kept the wrist spin alive at a time when fast bowlers supremely dominated cricket, Abdul Qadir, was an absolute genius. The top-quality leg-spinner completely owned batsmen with his consistency mixed with unplayable googlies.
Qadir played 67 Tests for Pakistan, claiming as many as 236 wickets to his name with 9/56 being his best. When it comes to showing magic against England, the Lahore-born is the leader by a considerable margin. He played 16 Tests against the English cricket team and bagged 82 wickets with eight 5-wicket hauls and four 10-wicket hauls.
