[Birthday Special] 10 Best Aqib Javed Cricket Moments for Team Pakistan

Aqib Javed, another name in the list of Pakistani fast bowlers who will always remain underrated. Someone who perhaps given more to the game and team than taking from it. Someone who qualified to be a clan cricketer during all the mess of match fixing of late 1990s. This is however ironic that we will always rave for those who were not honest towards the game or to the team but we will treat them like a missaiah just because they are big names but honest ones will never qualify in our list of worth raving for cricketers.

My introduction with Aqib happened in 1996, yes again 1996 since that was the year I started understanding things around and started following cricket, when our captain Wasim Akram got some mysterious injury and was unavailable for singer cup in Singapore I saw this young man holding the fort of opening bowling attack with Waqar Younis. Growing up in that age Two Ws were the only standard of fast bowling we had if they are not in the team the hope of team’s victory were bleak. But whenever the almighty two Ws planned not to play for the team which made them everything Pakistan had one man to look back to Aqib Javed, be its tour of India and Sahara Cup 1997, be it tour of Bangladesh in 1998 he was there to play. However, at that time I never liked him just for being the second best option.

The admiration and respect came in after his retirement and all that match fixing investigation chapter of 1999. He was one of those who had to end their career because he was not comfortable with what was going on back then. He ended his playing career and started career of coaching and in that too he gave back to name Pakistan, he was coach of Pakistan’s Under 19 cricket world cup winning team in 2004, he was bowling coach of T20 winning team Pakistan in 2009. National Cricket Academy (NCA) was far efficient and productive during the time Aqib was chief coach there unlike the current era when players are unable to regain their fitness with all the facilities.

Today is Birthday of this boy hailing from Sheikhupura and becoming the youngest bowler ever to take seven wickets in an ODI innings, a head strong cricketer who knew how to fight in the ground, master of swinging the new ball. Looking back at his career there are many moments when he proved that he meant business 1992 world cup is an example, it leaves one wondering why he never got his proper due, having said that the other thing I wonder is that why he never got offer for a shampoo ad. If he was playing today he would not only have been a high priced T20 player but also brand ambassador of a men’s shampoo for sure.

Here is a birthday special tribute to the master of new ball from Sheikhupura with 10 Best Aqib Javed Cricket Moments for Team Pakistan

1. Aqib giving second life to Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup campaign with his spell against Australia.

2. The Slowest ball by a fast bowler ever – Aqib Javed vs Mark Great Batch 1992

3. Aqib Javed vs Sachin Tendulker Sahara Cup 1997

4. The youngest bowler in the world to pick seven wickets in an ODI

5. 1992 world cup final Aqib Javed 2 wickets and a spectacular catch of Captain Graham Gooch

6. Complimenting record breaking innings of Saeed Anwar against India with 5 key wicket – Pakistan vs India Independence Cup 1997 Semi Final

Unfortunately no video is available of Pakistan’s bowling innings but Aqib was the one who made sure to not to go Saeed’s effort wasted. Aqib picked up five wickets including Sachin and Sourav Ganguly, he also brought the wall Dravid down who was taking India closer to victory with every passing moment.

7. Pakistan vs India – Pepsi Asia Cup 1995

Aqib leading Pakistan bowling attack along with Wasim Akram and picked up 5 wickets to become man of the match (his 4 MOM awards out of his total 6 are against India). India collapsed to 169 while chasing 267 as Aqib picked up vital wickets like Sachin, Azharuddin, and Vinod Kambli.

8. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka – Independence cup 1997

Ramiz Raja had the task of leading a team in India with one of the weakest bowling unit ever since three match winning bowlers Wasim, Waqar, and Mushtaq were unavailable and all Ramiz had was Aqib two young and too struggling fast bowlers Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq, and Saqlain Mushtaq for the remaining overs there used to be cameos of Afridi, Salim Malik, and leftie Mohammad Hussain (AKA Thaila). Pakistan thrashed the eventual tournament winners in this encounter by thirty runs and became the topper in the points table. Aqib picked five wickets, he sent two in form batsmen Jayasuria and Atapattu back to the pavilion with ducks in their score card and won player of the match award.

9. India tour Pakistan – 1st ODI Hyderabad 1997

India was touring Pakistan after 8 years to play an ODI series of three matches, after the retirement of Ramiz Raja Pakistan was under the leadership of a new captain, Saeed Anwar. This match was comeback of Waqar Younis who was returning to international cricket after playing a county season. Aqib and Saqlain ran through the middle and lower order of India to restrict them to 170 runs only. Aqib picked four wickets to become man of the match and all four were bowled outs.

10. Aqib Javed vs England during 3rd Test of Pakistan Tour of England 1992 and Umpire Roy Palmer incident