Saqlain Mushtaq, will always be remembered in the history of cricket as the man who introduced the ‘doosra’ in the armour of an off-spinner. From his debut in 1995, Saqlain would go on to become the quickest to get to a 100 wickets in One Day Internationals.
A bowling action with a cheeky fast run-up, and with a pause in the action just before delivery, Saqlain deceived even the best batsmen in the world. Though he was criticized for bringing too many variations into his game, Saqlain brought immense success for Pakistan, especially in the sub-continent. His ten-wicket haul in the Test match against the Indians in Chennai in 1998-99 will be remembered by one and all, especially the dismissal of Tendulkar, with India at the doorstep of victory.
However, the man failed to continue his celebrated form and was overshadowed by all-round performance of Shoaib Malik and soon by exceptional bowling performances from legspinner Danish Kaneria. Though Saqlain failed to make a comeback into the Pakistan squad, the cricketer in him did not put a halt to his passion. He went on to play county cricket for Sussex and joined the Indian Cricket League.
