By Hammad Anwar Follow @manihammad
Born on the Defence Day of Pakistan, 6th Sept, 1968, the
stylish left-handed batsman started his club-cricket from Maleer Gymkhana in
Karachi. In 1987, he joined United Bank. After some really good performances in
the domestic ODI competition, Wills Cup, he was selected for the tour of
Australia (1988-89). He was merely 20 at that moment and student of Computer
Sciences at NED University, Karachi. Before this tour, Australia had visited Pakistan
in 1988. In the practice match, Saeed scored an impressive 127 runs against the
touring team at Peshawar. This was his first big performance against any
international team. He scored another century in another side match.
Anwar`s appearance on the international arena was hardly spectacular. Though he made the debut on the tour to Australia under the captaincy of Imran Khan, he failed to live up to expectations. The great captain saw the hidden talent in him and he was sent back home to play first class cricket. Imran wanted this young lad to open the batting, something he had never done in domestic cricket. He returned to form in domestic cricket where he piled 1082 runs at avg of 67.62 with highest score of 221, with help of 5 centuries.
He was chosen for the side match against the touring Indian team. He gave Indian bowlers a lesson by scoring 209 with help of 22 fours and 2 sixes. It was the beginning of the Saeed`s long love for Indian bowling. He was given chance in ODI`s too, where he scored 42 off 32 balls (2 sixes and 4 fours) in the first rain-hit ODI, which was reduced to 16-16 overs. He was named Man of Match in other One Day of the series too.
He was included in the trip to Australia to take part in the World Series Cup, 1990-91 with the hosts and Sri Lanka. This time Anwar did not disappoint and was fairly consistent for Pakistan, his 99 ball 126 against Sri Lanka won him plaudits of many an expert and Ian Chappell marked him as someone to watch out for in the future. His 126 runs, the highest by any Pakistani at that time, were made with help 8 fours and more surprisingly 6 sixes, which established him as an aggressive player.
By now Anwar has become a regular starter opener for his country. Anwar made his test debut in 1990 against the mighty West Indies and like the great Englishmen, Graham Gooch, had the dubious distinction of getting a pair in his first test. After this performance he was labelled a "one day" specialist and did not break into the test side until the 1993-94 tour of New Zealand.
In Oct`93, he was included for the Pakistan team for Sharjah Cup where he scored a world record three consecutive centuries equalling the world record of Zaheer Abbas of consecutive centuries. He scored twice against the SriLankan team and once against the mighty West Indians. Due to his this performance he got his way to test side while Saleem Malik was captain. Anwar proved that he is master of both forms of cricket by making an impressive 169 against the Kiwis only in his second test. During the next tour of SriLanka, he contributed again with scores of 136 and 94 on the tour of SriLanka.
After returning home, he played against the Aussie and played a crucial part in the famous Karachi test, when Pak chased 316 with only one wicket remaining, Anwar stood out in the match by making 77 and 85 at crucial time. During ODI series, he scored his sole century, an inn of 104*, against the Aussie at Peshawar.
In April, Pakistan went to play Asia Cup under the captaincy
of Moin Khan while Anwar was appointed Vice-Captain. During the cup, he also took
charge as captain for one ODI too. Next season he scored 4 test half-centuries
in first 2 matches but missed the third test due to illness. Anwar`s mysterious
illness, which kept him out of cricket for over three months, was a subject of
much speculation. The simple explanation was that the illness has made him sick
of food and that had affected his immune system. He had been put on a special
diet and things appeared to be on the mended.
Though originally he was in plans for 1992 World Cup as
well but 1996 was Anwar`s first ever world cup. He played all 6 matches and was
the top 6th run-scorer of the tournament. He made 72 (vs. Eng), 83*(vs. Holland),
62(vs NZL). In the crucial Quarter Final against the traditional foes Indians,
he played his part by making 48 off just 32 balls, but still Pakistan lost the match.
Overall the world cup was a good one for Saeed, who scored 329 runs.
In 1996, the tour of England, Saeed proved himself as a great test-player where watching him negotiate the quickies with the bright cherry in their hands is a treat in itself as he timed the ball to all corners of the ground. He was quite famous for his slight flick of the wrists and the pushing the ball to the square leg boundary at lightning speed. In the souvenir program to the 3rd Cricket Test played at the Oval some years ago between England and Pakistan, Anwar made an impressive 176 and was described as arguably the "best left handed batsmen in the world behind Brian Lara, and certainly the most exciting after the power packed West Indian". Over all in 1996, Anwar played 36 ODI`s and scored 1592 runs at average of 53.06 and became the first ever Pakistani to make more than 1500 runs in a single year.
He is best known for his then-world record inning of 194 against Indians in India. For someone who was recovering from an illness, Anwar`s batting was simply out of this world. That day at Chennai the left-hander must have smelt the breeze of Clifton beach and not the Marina. The heat in Chennai was quite obviously getting to him, for he had been unwell before the series and had only just got back into the Pakistan team. From sitting on his haunches in the first five overs of the innings, Saeed Anwar`s transformation once he was given a runner was truly remarkable. All he had to do was to play the brilliant array of shots he has and if the ball did not go to the boundary, Shahid Afridi was there to run for him. Not once did he sit on his haunches after the runner came on and when he was finally dismissed after a superlative record-breaking 194, there was not too much sweat on his brow.
In 1999, Pakistan
went to India to play 2 tests and an Asian Championship match. Saeed carried
bat throughout the inning and made an unbeatable 188*. This turned out to be
his highest test score of his career. He was declared Man of Match and he is
only third Pakistani to do this to carry the bat. In the championship final he
made another half-century too.
Anwar continued performing well for this country during the infamous world cup 1999. He played in all matches for Pakistan and scored crucial 103 against the Zimbabwe. He returned to supreme touch in the semi-final against the Kiwi's. He made 113* in the semi. Pakistan lost the infamous final to Australia but still Anwar`s performance was remarkable. He was the highest run scorer with 368 runs with a healthy average of 40.88.
Following the World Cup, during the disastrous tour of Australia in Dec 99, he emerged as the only successful player of the tour. Pakistan lost all three tests but Anwar scored 282 runs with 2 half-centuries and 1 century. After that tour, Anwar was appointed the Captain of Pakistan Cricket Team. His first test was against the touring SriLankans, in the absence of all important players who were injured or dropped, the team lost the series by margin of 2-1. Though he himself performed well by making 2 half-centuries, but in a colliding accident with umpire, he injured himself and was out of action till June 2000.
He returned to again in Sharjah Cup in 2001, scoring 327
runs in only 5 matches at avg of 89.37 with help of 4 half centuries and
highest score of 90. In August 2001, he played his Last test match against the
Bangladeshi's and scored 104, the last of his 11 centuries. Interestingly he
started his career from a duck and ended with a century. During the same test match, which turned out to be his last,
Saeed`s only child then, 3-yr-old daughter Bisma died. This had huge impact on
his personal life where he became a devote Muslim after this and started taking
more active part in preaching and spreading Islam.
He missed out tours due to stress fracture in arm and returned to play triangular series including Australia, Kenya and Pakistan in 2002. He was unsuccessful on the tour and only managed highest score of 27. He made only 55 runs in 5 matches. He missed the disastrous test series against the Australia at Sharjah where Pakistan lost all three tests. Later the year He played ICC Champions Trophy, and was the highest runs scorer for Pakistan by making 52 (vs. SRL) and 28*(vs. Holland).
The majestic opener played his last tournament of his
14-yr-long-career in Feb 2003 which was the World Cup. He was playing World Cup
for the third time and for the third successive time he was the Highest
run-scorer for his country. He made 218 runs at an excellent avg. of 54.50. In
his second last innings, he made his 20th century against the arch-rivals
India. He played his match in March, 2003 in Bulawayo against the Zimbabwe. He
made 40* off 45 balls with help of 3 fours and 1 six. He made 449 runs at avg.
of 34.41 in his last season with help of one century.
Cricinfo describes him as “Majestic timing and placement
were Saeed Anwar's hallmarks. He was an opener capable of electrifying starts
in all cricket through graceful stroke play rather than brute force. He loved
driving through the off side with minimal footwork. He annihilated any bowler
offering width outside off stump although he too regularly guided the ball
straight into the hands of fourth slip or gully. He first came to prominence as
a one-day player but soon achieved equal success in Test cricket. Anwar's
fielding was weak, he was injury prone, and his footwork became less assured as
his career drew to a close. Opting to take a break from the game after the
death of his daughter in August 2001, he was a lesser force when he came back,
though he still managed a hundred against India in the 2003 World Cup. His
batting prowess on the wane, Anwar finally announced his retirement just before
Pakistan's home series against Bangladesh. He held the record for the highest
ODI score till Sachin Tendulkar upstaged him, and on his day he was one of the
most gracefully compelling players on the international stage.”
Anwar`s appearance on the international arena was hardly spectacular. Though he made the debut on the tour to Australia under the captaincy of Imran Khan, he failed to live up to expectations. The great captain saw the hidden talent in him and he was sent back home to play first class cricket. Imran wanted this young lad to open the batting, something he had never done in domestic cricket. He returned to form in domestic cricket where he piled 1082 runs at avg of 67.62 with highest score of 221, with help of 5 centuries.
He was chosen for the side match against the touring Indian team. He gave Indian bowlers a lesson by scoring 209 with help of 22 fours and 2 sixes. It was the beginning of the Saeed`s long love for Indian bowling. He was given chance in ODI`s too, where he scored 42 off 32 balls (2 sixes and 4 fours) in the first rain-hit ODI, which was reduced to 16-16 overs. He was named Man of Match in other One Day of the series too.
He was included in the trip to Australia to take part in the World Series Cup, 1990-91 with the hosts and Sri Lanka. This time Anwar did not disappoint and was fairly consistent for Pakistan, his 99 ball 126 against Sri Lanka won him plaudits of many an expert and Ian Chappell marked him as someone to watch out for in the future. His 126 runs, the highest by any Pakistani at that time, were made with help 8 fours and more surprisingly 6 sixes, which established him as an aggressive player.
By now Anwar has become a regular starter opener for his country. Anwar made his test debut in 1990 against the mighty West Indies and like the great Englishmen, Graham Gooch, had the dubious distinction of getting a pair in his first test. After this performance he was labelled a "one day" specialist and did not break into the test side until the 1993-94 tour of New Zealand.
In Oct`93, he was included for the Pakistan team for Sharjah Cup where he scored a world record three consecutive centuries equalling the world record of Zaheer Abbas of consecutive centuries. He scored twice against the SriLankan team and once against the mighty West Indians. Due to his this performance he got his way to test side while Saleem Malik was captain. Anwar proved that he is master of both forms of cricket by making an impressive 169 against the Kiwis only in his second test. During the next tour of SriLanka, he contributed again with scores of 136 and 94 on the tour of SriLanka.
After returning home, he played against the Aussie and played a crucial part in the famous Karachi test, when Pak chased 316 with only one wicket remaining, Anwar stood out in the match by making 77 and 85 at crucial time. During ODI series, he scored his sole century, an inn of 104*, against the Aussie at Peshawar.
In April, Pakistan went to play Asia Cup under the captaincy
of Moin Khan while Anwar was appointed Vice-Captain. During the cup, he also took
charge as captain for one ODI too. Next season he scored 4 test half-centuries
in first 2 matches but missed the third test due to illness. Anwar`s mysterious
illness, which kept him out of cricket for over three months, was a subject of
much speculation. The simple explanation was that the illness has made him sick
of food and that had affected his immune system. He had been put on a special
diet and things appeared to be on the mended.In 1996, the tour of England, Saeed proved himself as a great test-player where watching him negotiate the quickies with the bright cherry in their hands is a treat in itself as he timed the ball to all corners of the ground. He was quite famous for his slight flick of the wrists and the pushing the ball to the square leg boundary at lightning speed. In the souvenir program to the 3rd Cricket Test played at the Oval some years ago between England and Pakistan, Anwar made an impressive 176 and was described as arguably the "best left handed batsmen in the world behind Brian Lara, and certainly the most exciting after the power packed West Indian". Over all in 1996, Anwar played 36 ODI`s and scored 1592 runs at average of 53.06 and became the first ever Pakistani to make more than 1500 runs in a single year.
He is best known for his then-world record inning of 194 against Indians in India. For someone who was recovering from an illness, Anwar`s batting was simply out of this world. That day at Chennai the left-hander must have smelt the breeze of Clifton beach and not the Marina. The heat in Chennai was quite obviously getting to him, for he had been unwell before the series and had only just got back into the Pakistan team. From sitting on his haunches in the first five overs of the innings, Saeed Anwar`s transformation once he was given a runner was truly remarkable. All he had to do was to play the brilliant array of shots he has and if the ball did not go to the boundary, Shahid Afridi was there to run for him. Not once did he sit on his haunches after the runner came on and when he was finally dismissed after a superlative record-breaking 194, there was not too much sweat on his brow.
Anwar was at the crease for 205 minutes and hammered 22
fours and five sixes to give Pakistan a huge total of 327 runs in 50 overs. It
meant that India had to score at a high asking rate of 6.56 an over. Anwar`s
score beat Viv Richards' world record score of 189 against England at Old
Trafford in 1984. He hit India's most successful bowler Anil Kumble for 28 runs
in a single over. Kumble was on the verge of crying that moment. This knock was
played under duress as he had pulled a muscle early on and needed a runner in
the form of Shahid Afridi. But the record of being the first-ever double
centurion of one-day cricket eluded Anwar as his swivel shot ended in the hands
of Ganguly, who held on to the ball as if for dear life. Anwar returned to a
standing ovation from the Chennai crowd.
Anwar continued performing well for this country during the infamous world cup 1999. He played in all matches for Pakistan and scored crucial 103 against the Zimbabwe. He returned to supreme touch in the semi-final against the Kiwi's. He made 113* in the semi. Pakistan lost the infamous final to Australia but still Anwar`s performance was remarkable. He was the highest run scorer with 368 runs with a healthy average of 40.88.
Following the World Cup, during the disastrous tour of Australia in Dec 99, he emerged as the only successful player of the tour. Pakistan lost all three tests but Anwar scored 282 runs with 2 half-centuries and 1 century. After that tour, Anwar was appointed the Captain of Pakistan Cricket Team. His first test was against the touring SriLankans, in the absence of all important players who were injured or dropped, the team lost the series by margin of 2-1. Though he himself performed well by making 2 half-centuries, but in a colliding accident with umpire, he injured himself and was out of action till June 2000.
In June 2000, Pakistan visited Sri Lanka; he was back in
runs and was the key factor in the series victory. Pakistan avenged their
defeat at home by winning series 2-0. Anwar scored 158 runs in 2 tests at
average of 61.66 with a century to his name. His performance was a moderate
success in the home series against England, where he could only manage a single
test half century. He played ODI series against the Kiwi's but missed the tests
due to injury.
He missed out tours due to stress fracture in arm and returned to play triangular series including Australia, Kenya and Pakistan in 2002. He was unsuccessful on the tour and only managed highest score of 27. He made only 55 runs in 5 matches. He missed the disastrous test series against the Australia at Sharjah where Pakistan lost all three tests. Later the year He played ICC Champions Trophy, and was the highest runs scorer for Pakistan by making 52 (vs. SRL) and 28*(vs. Holland).
The majestic opener played his last tournament of his
14-yr-long-career in Feb 2003 which was the World Cup. He was playing World Cup
for the third time and for the third successive time he was the Highest
run-scorer for his country. He made 218 runs at an excellent avg. of 54.50. In
his second last innings, he made his 20th century against the arch-rivals
India. He played his match in March, 2003 in Bulawayo against the Zimbabwe. He
made 40* off 45 balls with help of 3 fours and 1 six. He made 449 runs at avg.
of 34.41 in his last season with help of one century.
Saeed Anwar retired
in August, 2003. At the press conference, he said "I enjoyed my cricket
for Pakistan, and after 15 years today I announce my retirement from
international and first-class cricket, I am retiring on a high note but am
disappointed, I could have played for two more years. I made a pair in my first
Test and never in my dreams imagined I would go that far after failing in my
first Test. I played for Pakistan with pride and want to be remembered as a
good and decent player. No one leaves cricket as a happy man ... but I think
this was Allah Almighty's will. I thought the selectors would give me a chance
after the World Cup, and I waited for two, three months but they decided
otherwise. Many people think that turning to religion has ended my cricket,"
he admitted. "But this is not true and I kept a balance in both
things." He had some regrets, chief among them the 1996 World Cup
quarter-final defeat and the fine he received after Pakistan's inquiry into the
match-fixing scandal. But overall he was satisfied from what he had achieved in
his long illustrious career.
Landmarks:
- He hold the World-Record for sixth second highest score in One Day Internationals, which is 194 ,a against India at Chennai. This is best score by any Pakistani player. He played 147 balls, hit 22 fours and 5 sixes.
- He holds the record for the fifth maximum no of fours in one inn, which is 22, in his marathon inns of 194 at Chennai, 1997.
- He is Pakistan`s third highest sun scorer in the ODIs history.(8832 runs in 247 matches; avg 40)
- He is 7th in the list of most ODI centuries.(20 Centuries)
- He is second on the list with most no of awards for Man of Match for Pakistan with 28 in just 247 matches. (Afridi leads the list with 29 n 349 matches)
- He was Wisden Cricketer of the Year(1997)
- He was declared 10th Best ODI player by Wisden in 2000, he took 997.7 points.
- First Pakistani to cross 8000 runs mark.
- Second Highest run scorer for Pakistan in all World Cup's behind Javed Maindad. (915 runs in 21 matches at avg of 53.82, with 3 100`s and 3 50`s ; Maindad made 1083 in 33 matches at avg of 43.82 with 1 hundred and 8 50`s.)
- He had scored 30 first-class centuries and 51 half-centuries.
- He is the 4th highest Limited-Overs run-scorer for Pakistan.(11,223 runs)
- He was the 1990 Cricketer of the Year of Pakistan.
- He got Pride of Performance award from Pakistani Govt.
- Once he crossed the hundred mark, he never got out for less than 110 runs in his 55 match career except once.
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