Harsh Thakor writes
The most charismatic cricketer of his eraresembling an emperor Watching Imran Khan was asight to behold, whether batting , bowiling or fielding.
He started his test career in England in 1974 but hardly made a significant impact.His true promise was revealed o the tour of Austrlai in 1976-77.Here his 18 wickets were instrumental in Pakistan sharing atset series for the first time in Australia by winning their first ever test in Australai at Sydney.Like a lion Imran tore the Austrlain top order with figures of 6-63and 6-102.His pace rattle batsman like Greg Chappell and he most effectively combined pace and bounce with swing.At times he bolwed as fast as Dennis Lillee.
Subsequently, on a tour of West Indies he captured 25 wickets enabling Pakistan to come within ahair breadth of squaring the test series.He troubled the likes of Sir Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Clive Lloyd deploying variations of swing and bouncers.
In 1977 he joined Kery Packer Cricket where he was a thorn in the flesh of great batsman like Greg and Ian Chappeel, Viv RichardsEtc.He developed his ability to swing the ball and improved his batting, playing some useful knocks.
In 1978-79 he made aspectacular return to the tset arena I ahistoric seies versus India.He captured 14 wickets and he made agreat contributio to Pakistan’s 2-0 triumph capturing 14 wickets.He often dismissed Gavaskar and Vishwanath.He was effective in the 1979 Prudential Cup but was plagued by injurise on the disastrous tour of India where Pakistan lost 2-0.Imran captired 19 wockets at 19 runs apiec and played some useful innings.He continued to give fine bolwing performances on the dead Paksitani wockets against Australai and WEst Indies in 1980 but above all in the series against Est INdise egistered his first ever test centurysoring 123 not out after his team was idire straights.
In 1981 he bolwed superby in Australai overshadoiwng even DEnnis Lillee and capturing 16 wickets .Ian Chappell felt that he bowled quicker than even Jeff Thomson.Imran;s controlled swing and cut was almsot unplayable.
He was appointed captain for the first time on the tour of England and gave an allround performance in the Gary Sobers class.He captured 21 wickest at 18.53 apiece and scored 318 runs at an average of 53.He bolwed brilliantly at Edgabaston taking 7-52 and at Leed got 5-49 in the first innings.His leadership was instrumental in taking Pakistan to within ahair’s breadth of their first ever serise win in England.He looked like an emperor commanding his knights on the field.
In 1982-83 he led his team to aseries win against Australai and then to ahistoric serise win against India where he captured 40 wickets at 13.95.He alos played some useful knocks but his bolwing was what stood out .His spell of 5-3 at Karcahi anf 508 at Hyderabad are amongts the graetset of all time.In Karachi he claen bolwed the likes of Gavaskar, Vishwanath , Kapil DefEtc, like atiger tearing flesh.It was like a bomber destroyig an airbase.
In the 1983 Workld cup Injury prevented himself from bolwing but he batted like achampion averaging 70 runs including acentury versus Sri Lanka.
He made acomeback as abolwer in 1985 at Sharjah where he ripped the heart of the Indian batting but his team lost.9bolwed out of 87)In 1986 he was re-awarded capataincy and he led his team to win the Australasia Cup as well as to adrawn rubber against West Indise at home.His 18 wickets were most deserved and he captured amatch-wining 5 wicket haul at faisalabad, tearing apart the calypso batting.In the 1986-87 tour of India his leadarship and batting played amajor role in Pakistan wining their first ever series in India as well as the one day series.He demonstrated his competent batting technique avearging 64 runs.In 1987 he led Pakistan to their first serise win in England and his 10 wickets at Headingley was the deciding factor.His mastery of pace and controlled swing could not have been more amply demonstrated.He alos scored acentury at the Oval.In the 1987 REliance Cup hew as the bset bolwer capturing 17 wickets at 17.65 apiece but his taem capitualed in the semi-final.However a few months later in 1988 he led Pakistan to become the first team to draw a series in West INdies since England in 1974.The series was billed as the unofficial world championship.He captured 23 wickets including a match-wining haul of 11 at Georgetown and 9 at Trinidad.In the end Pakistan came within awhisker of winning their first tset serise on Carribean soil.He displayed his unrelenting hostility and agression .
He led Pakisatn to further victories in one day tournaments like th Nehru Cup I 1989 and the 1990 Australasi Cap but his greatset triumph was in te 1992 Wotrld Cup.After all seemed lost his taem came back like tigers out of an ambush and pulled of astring of sensational victories.Imran topscored in the final wit 70.He could not have made amore apropriate retirement than see his team crowned world champions.
To me the Khan is the greatest challenger to Sir Gary Sobers for the title of geatest all-rounder ever.He is witH Richard Hadllee the graetset bolwing all-rounder (capture wickest on dead sub-continent tracks)but became a great batsman late in his career.(best defensive technique amongst all)He was the most outstanding skipper of all allrounders ..He was amongts the greatest captains ever leading his team like a Marshall in an Army .He was a master tactician as askipper.He led Pakistan to becoming the joint unofficial test champions and the one day Champions.He was not as great a match-winner like Ian Botham or as flamboyannt with the bat as Botham or KapilDev but he was more consistent than them.REmember he outplayed Ian Botham on English soil in both the serise he played against him.He scored 3807 runs at 37.69 with the bat while captured 362 wickets at 22.81 with the ball in 88 tests.In fulll cry with the ball Imran would tear through the best of batting like a tiger tearing flesh.He was a master of the inswinger and the bouncer and with Wasi Akram the greatset ever exponent of the old ball.He could also launch arelentless assault with the bat and often lofted sixes.
Let us bow down to this giant.He is one of the hadsomest sportsman ever and had great academic prowess which he has applied in Pakistan politics.The charisma he exudes is more like agreat leader like Gandhi or Mao Tse Tung.SAdly at times he has been unsporting against India and also entered into conntroversial issues.
By Harsh Thakor