Sarfraz Nawaz is born on 1 December 1948 in Lahore. He is a former Pakistani Test cricketer and politician, who were instrumental in Pakistan's first Test series victories over India and England. He is known as one of the earliest exponents of reverse swing.
Being 6’6'’ tall, Sarfraz was described "as strong as a cart-horse" and his powerful upper body and good action allowed him to bowl at a fast-medium pace. He could seam the ball in either direction and despite the convention, he repeatedly bounced other fast bowlers such as Jeff Thomson and Joel Garner.
The big, burly Punjabi bowler, Sarfraz formed a potent partnership with Imran Khan and was one of the pioneers of reverse swing. His most prolific spell came in the Melbourne Test of 1978-79, but he kept going admirably on some heartless Test pitches in Pakistan.
He had all the ingredients of a potent fast bowler - a strong action, bouncers, Yorkers, and swings (both conventional and reverse). He was so effective that he generated good lift on docile sub-continental tracks too. He is more remembered for his 'spell from hell' - 9-86 against Australia at MCG in 1979.
He also served Northamptonshire with distinction in two stints. As a lower-order batsman, he often swung his bat and got quick runs and he averaged over 40 in a series on three occasions.
He attracted a few controversies as well. Sarfraz controversially dismissed Aussie batsman, Andrew Hilditch for handling the ball in the next test at Perth after his 'spell from hell'. His withdrawal from a home series against England also created quite a fit of anger.
Sarfaraz Nawaz proved himself a fast-medium bowler of class, a tough customer at most times who possessed absolute accuracy while bowling. His ability to hit the ball while batting lower down the order made him a useful mini-all-rounder and he was the third Pakistani to take 100 Test wickets and score 1000 Test runs. He possessed a good action and the ability to seam the bowl with equal effectiveness both ways.
On March 15, 1979, at Melbourne, he bowled a memorable spell to take nine wickets in an innings. He dismissed seven batsmen while conceding just one run from 33 balls. He was a highly controversial player due to his unconventional behavior and mood swings and bowled a succession of bouncers at other fast bowlers such as Jeff Thompson and Joel Garner. Once, protesting about his pay, he flew to England during a Test series between the two teams in Pakistan.
Following his retirement, SarfrazNawaz plunged into the complex world of Pakistan politics. He became an outspoken MP and cricket commentator. The flat wickets found in Pakistan were not ideal for a bowler of his pace, but could sometimes surprise batsmen with his ability to make to ball seam, swing, or bounce awkwardly. More importantly, Sikander Bakht Sarfraz developed reverse swing.
Commentators did not realize this was a reverse swing at the time, though they realized that he had an uncanny ability to move the old ball in the air. He passed on his knowledge to Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis, who made this new type of bowling famous in the late 1980s and 1990s. As a batsman, he was a good lower-order striker of the ball, particularly when driving, and averaged over 40 in a series on three occasions.
Awesome information.. Great work..
ReplyDelete