Aamir Sohail Profile - Cricket Career

Muhammad Aamir Sohail is born on 14 September 1966. He is a Pakistani cricket commentator and former cricketer. In a playing career that spanned eighteen years, Sohail played in 195 first-class and 261 List A Limited Overs matches, including 47 Test matches and 156 One Day Internationals for Pakistan. Aamir Sohail was a combative left-hand opener and a predominantly back-foot player whose forte was improvisation. He loved to attack, and almost found it impossible to control his aggression.

Aamir Sohail made his first-class debut in 1983, as a left-handed opening batsman and occasional left-arm spin bowler. An aggressive batsman, Sohail first appeared for the national team in 1990 one-day international against Sri Lanka and enjoyed a successful international career. He was an important member of the team that won the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Aamir Sohail captained Pakistan in six Tests in 1998, becoming the first Pakistani captain to defeat South Africa in a Test Match. He led Pakistan through 22 One Day Internationals from 1996 to 1998, winning nine and averaging 41.5 with the bat. He also acted as acting captain of Pakistan against the West Indies in Sharjah.

Sohail played a big role in Pakistan's World Cup triumph in 1992, famously telling Ian Botham that he might want to send his mother-in-law into bat, referring to Botham's statement that he wouldn't send even his mother-in-law to Pakistan after Botham was controversially given out for zero in the final.

In the 1996 World Cup Quarter Final in Bangalore against arch-rival India, Sohail was captaining his side in pursuit of a relatively large target of 287 in 49 overs. With opening partner Saeed Anwar, he got Pakistan off to a flying start. With the score at 109 for one and Saeed Anwar (48) back in the pavilion, Aamir Sohail smashed a delivery from Indian seamer Venkatesh Prasad through the covers for four. Both players exchanged words, and Sohail unnecessarily pointed his finger aggressively at Prasad. The next delivery clean-bowled him and triggered a batting collapse which ultimately lost the game and eliminated Pakistan from the competition.

Aamir Sohail was at the heart of the match-fixing scandal that rocked cricket in the 1990s: as captain of the national team, his whistle-blowing may have negatively affected his international career and he left the international scene early to work in broadcasting, where he might have tried harder to suppress his personal prejudices.

After retiring from cricket in 2001, Sohail became chief selector for the national team, his tenure ending in January 2004 when he was replaced by former national team wicketkeeper Wasim Bari. He continues to work as a cricket broadcaster. On 4 February 2014, he was again appointed as Chief Selector of the national team for the second time.

 

Ian Healy 113 Not Out vs New Zealand at Perth Nov 1993

In 1993-94 seasons, Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Ian scored a brilliant hundred against New Zealand at Perth in Nov 1993. At one stage Australian team was struggling at 6 for 198 when Ian Healy came and played a genuine innings on the bouncy track of Perth. This was Ian Healy's 2^nd Test hundred and first against New Zealand. He remains unbeaten at 113 off 181 balls, 262 mins, with the help of 11 fours. Australian innings were ended up 398. The match was drawn, but he realized the Australian selectors to keep faith in his batting. The player in the match was declared Andrew Jones, who scored 143 and 45.

Pankaj Singh: Rajasthan’s lone Ranger

 It had been a day of mixed fortunes for Pankaj Singh. At the very special moment, perhaps, when the national selectors were discussing his name for the Australia tour, Pankaj was busy battling it out in Jhalawar, trying to secure for Rajasthan their first-ever victory over Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. Pankaj couldn’t save Rajasthan from losing by two runs — but he did get the selectors’ call. It was a reward for his strong domestic performances over the past year and, if it surprised most people, Pankaj himself was confident that the national call was around the corner. In a way he was expecting this call, especially after my five-wicket haul against a side like Mumbai in the first innings at Jnalawar,” an excited Pankaj, Singh, he is just 22, said.

His height — he stands 6’5” in his socks — and broad shoulders have been his principal assets, along with his work ethic, in purchasing wickets on the flat, unresponsive Indian pitches for the past two years. Venkatesh Prasad, the Indian bowling coach, felt the same during the bowlers’ camp held in Mysore In June, before the England tour, where Pankaj was called at the last minute based on his performances during the previous Ranji season. He's a tall and hardworking fast bowler with a good outswinger.

He was Prasad’s assessment at the time. Pankaj, who took the new ball during the India-A tour to Kenya and then against South Africa at home, runs in hard and delivers with a side-on action. His stock ball is the outswinger that leaves the right-hander at a decent pace, something his colleague Ishant Sharma can make use of in his secret delivery is the disguised incutter that he utilizes intelligently.

The outswinger came naturally, but my experience during the A tours this year helped me bring more variety and the inswinger is a work in progress. His relative youth would raise expectations of greater pace but for now, Pankaj is happy consistently hitting the 135kmph mark, so as long as he can pitch it on the right spot.  If he can hit the back-of-the-length and short-of-good-length consistently, that’s the priority,” Prasad says.

In essence, he is asking Pankaj to do what he has been doing for Rajasthan for the last two seasons. Pankaj understands that well and is not fretting over the lack of pace. A good line-and-length is what you want to focus on and as for pace, he will definitely increase it with time.” KP Bhaskar said, in his first season as Rajasthan's coach.

Also, his coach believes Pankaj can bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket. “Line and length are his biggest strong points. Also adding that the reason Pankaj is a tall all-out fast bowler is that he has to shoulder the burden of the fast bowling attack almost single-hand. Prasad says India has never been a nation of fast bowlers in any case and it would be beneficial if Pankaj can focus on consistency. With the Ishant Sharma has bagged his maiden five-for, and Zaheer Khan and RP Singh returning to the fold. So, therefore Pankaj Singh will most likely be an understudy to the seniors.

If at all he gets a chance, it will be during the two practice games ahead of the first Test on Boxing Day at the MCG. Pankaj's performances appear to have impressed Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, who met him for the first time during the 2006-07 Deodhar Trophy. Since then, Pankaj says, Vengsarkar has encouraged him to believe in himself. Work on your basics and concentrate on your strengths, he told me.

Pankaj’s trip to Mysore earlier this year saw him acquire a more positive mindset. We spoke a lot about mental toughness Pankaj recalls his conversations with Prasad and the other bowlers. The ideal tool apart from his height, broad shoulders, and strong work ethic, for that trip to Australia. Watch out for Tendulkar, to score heavily against Australia on what will be his last tour of the country. Labeling Tendulkar as the best batsman he has played against, Warne said in the Herald Sun: There is no doubt he will play one or two special innings in this Test series. Absolutely no doubt, he will play a couple of unbelievable breathtaking innings. I don't believe just because he is getting old, he is finished. Given the conditions, Melbourne, Sydney, or Perth. 

AB de Villiers reaches his maiden Test century, South Africa v England, 5th Test, Centurion

 

Andrew Symonds gears up for the semi-final against South Africa, St Lucia, April 23, 2007

 

1952 at Lucknow, Pakistan recorded maiden Test victory in only their 2nd ever Test match beating India by an inns and 43 runs.

 

Imran Khan celebrates taking the final English wicket as Pakistan clinch their first World Cup Final 1992. Moin Khan is Perfoming Saajda.

 

Imran Khan savours the moment of victory, Pakistan v England, World Cup final, 1992. Mushtaq Ahmad is in jubilant behind Imran

 

Dean Jones throws up on the pitch during his epic 503-minute double hundred, India v Australia,

 

Mohammad Azharuddin with the Singer World Series Trophy 1994. This was his first one-day series victory abroad as captain