Imran Khan: Pakistan's most successful captain
Full name: Imran Khan Niazi
Born: November 25 1952 at Lahore, Punjab
Major teams: Pakistan, Lahore, Sussex, Worcestershire, New South Wales, Pakistan International Airlines, Oxford University, Dawood Club
- World-class all-rounder
- Right-hand bat
- Right-arm fast bowler
- Cricket administrator
- Politician
Profile
Imran Khan was more than just a world-class allrounder, He was an extraordinary leader and motivator, a mentor, genuine all-rounder and a true legend of the game. The all-rounder lays claim to the title of greatest Pakistan cricketer and even one of the best all-rounders of all-time. Imran is credited into transforming Pakistan into a world-beating Test team that was able to draw series against the champion West Indies team of the 1980s.
More than a key cricketer, Imran was the first real superstar of first superstar of Pakistan cricket, being a marketable cricketer who raised the profile of the game in the subcontinent. Khan was the idol of many youngsters in the subcontinent; it was his performances that generates more interest in fast bowling in spin-dominated Pakistan. His presence influenced other Pakistan greats like Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram.
In international cricket, Khan could have been a specialist batsman or specialist bowler; his statistics were that good. A Test batting average of 37.69 and a Test bowling average of 22.81 illustrates his class. Normally, the mark of a genuine all--rounder is that the batting average exceeds the bowling average. The former Pakistan captain comfortably satisfies that criteria in all forms of the game.
Imran Khan's batting records
Match type
| Matches
| Runs
| Best
| Avg
| 100s
| 50s
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tests
| 88
| 3807
| 136
| 37.69
| 6
| 18
|
ODIs
| 175
| 3709
| 102*
| 33.41
| 1
| 19
|
First-class
| 382
| 17771
| 170
| 36.79
| 30
| 93
|
List A
| 425
| 10100
| 114*
| 33.22
| 5
| 66
|
Imran Khan's bowling records
Match type
| Matches
| Wickets
| Average
|
---|---|---|---|
Tests
| 88
| 362
| 22.81
|
ODIs
| 175
| 182
| 26.61
|
First-class
| 382
| 1287
| 22.32
|
List A
| 425
| 507
| 22.31
|
Notable achievements
- ICC World Cup winner: 1992
- ICC Hall of Fame
Khan began playing international cricket in 1971 and is one of the few cricketers to play more than two decades of international cricket. His career ended in 1992, with a World Cup triumph over England in Australia. No script-writer could have provided an end that befitted a legend more.
After his illustrious cricket career, where he played for teams in Australia and England, Khan became a cricket administrator and Parliamentarian in his native Pakistan. Imran Khan was a true champion and role model, who made his mark on world cricket.