Asia Cup 2018: India-Pakistan Sharjah XI

Saeed Anwar of Pakistan on his way to 52
Saeed Anwar can get the innings off to a flying start with his flair and attacking strokeplay.

The Asia Cup is about to get underway tomorrow, with all the matches scheduled to take place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. However, for most of the 80's and 90's, cricket in the UAE used to take place on a single ground - the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Sharjah hosted multiple ODI tournaments every year since the 80's, and was home to some of the most exciting and memorable matches ever.

In fact, even to date, the Sharjah Cricket Ground has hosted more ODI's than any other ground, with the MCG and SCG falling behind. Both India and Pakistan regularly toured Sharjah, and many great cricketers from both sides registered some noteworthy performances. If we were to combine an Indo-Pak ODI team that includes some of the best performers in Sharjah, what would it look like?

Let's have a look at what an Indo-Pak Sharjah XI would look like. The list includes players with substantial ODI experience and a good overall record in Sharjah. The minimum qualification criterion is 1000 runs for the batsmen and 35 wickets for the bowlers, all at Sharjah.


Saeed Anwar

One of the most stylish batsmen to have embraced the one-day game, Saeed Anwar could win a match for his team alone on his day. The elegant left hander had wrists of steel, and his trademark shots were the cover drive, square cut, flick and pull shot. He would also occasionally employ the sweep shot against the spinners and could hit sixes at will.

Saeed Anwar would be a sureshot inclusion at the top of the order, and would face the first ball of the innings. In Sharjah, Saeed Anwar has scored 2179 runs from 51 innings at an average of 45.40, including seven centuries.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sussex v India - Tour Match
Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the most complete batsman, becomes more complete at Sharjah Cricket Ground.

There are few places in the world where Sachin Tendulkar does not possess a great record. As far as Sharjah is concerned, Sachin loved batting here. And for television viewers, Sachin's attacking strokeplay against the world's best bowling attacks combined with Tony Greig's commentary, was a treat during the 90's.

For an Indo-Pak XI, the opening combination at Sharjah would always comprise of Sachin Tendulkar and Saeed Anwar. In Sharjah, Sachin scored 1831 runs from 42 innings at an average of 48.05, with seven centuries.

Inzamam-ul-Haq

Pakistan v Eng X
Inzamam-ul-Haq has the most runs at Sharjah, and is the only player with over 900 runs to average over 50.

Pakistan's match-winner with the bat during the 90's, Inzamam took over as his country's captain after their bad run during the 2003 World Cup. The dashing right-hander was rock solid, and has the most aggregate runs at Sharjah as well.

When Inzamam is in his elements, the oppositions simply don't have a chance. In Sharjah, Inzamam has scored 2464 runs from 59 innings at an average of 50.29, with four centuries.

Javed Miandad

Javed Miandad Chetan Sharma Last Ball Six India Pakistan Australasia Sharjah 1986
Javed Miandad won many a tournament for Pakistan at Sharjah and away, both with his bat and his mind.

Pakistan cricket's greatest fighter, Miandad made Pakistan the top one-day side by the end of the 80's, winning them many important tournaments including the Australasia Cup and the World Cup.

The veteran whose 21-year ODI career consisted of six World Cup tournaments, is most remembered for his unbelievable knock of 116-not out against India in the 1986 Australasia Cup final. What is remembered even more than his entire innings is his last ball six off the bowling of Javed Miandad, when his team needed at least a boundary to win the match.

A paradigm of mental strength and fighting instincts, Miandad scored 1052 runs in Sharjah from 29 innings at an average of 45.74, including the century in the Australasia Cup final of 1986.

Mohammad Azharuddin

India headshots
Mohammad Azharuddin batted well, and led India to 3 multilateral ODI series wins in Sharjah.

The wristy right-hander who captained India throughout the 90's, has actually enjoyed a love affair with Sharjah since the 80's, when he started winning matches for his team there. He captained India to 3 ODI final wins in Sharjah, the first one consisting of a match-winning unbeaten 90 against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final in 1995.

He replicated a similar performance three years later in a Coca Cola Cup match here, whacking one of the most respected umpires in today's cricket - Kumar Dharmasena. In Sharjah, Azhar has scored 1660 runs from 58 innings at an average of 34.58, with one century.

Saleem Malik

Saleem Malik
Saleem Malik is a stable middle-order option for a venue like Sharjah, and can up the run rate when needed.

Saleem Malik was a middle order mainstay for Pakistan during the 80's and the 90's. A key member of their World Cup victory in 1992, he was also part of the runners up team during 1999. One of his best innings here was an unbeaten century against Sri Lanka in 1989, while chasing a target of 245.

Saleem Malik was a useful batsman during the middle overs, and would play the best spinners in the world without breaking a sweat. In Sharjah, Saleem Malik scored 1714 runs from 50 innings at an average of 40.81, with three centuries.

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi at his peak easily satisfies the all-rounder's criterion, with 53 wickets & 1260 runs at Sharjah.

Shahid Afridi can add a lot of value to any team, if he is utilized properly. He will pick wickets if given a decent spell, and will save many runs in the field. But if sent in to bat in the right situation, he can win the match with his bat as well. Shahid Afridi fulfills the all-rounder's duties in this team, and also plays the leg-spinner's role to perfection.

From 54 matches, Afridi has 53 wickets in Sharjah at an average of 28.75 and 1260 runs with the bat, including a century. 11 of those matches have come since 2011, the others were played before 2002.

Wasim Akram

Australia v Pakstan
Wasim Akram took two hattricks in important matches, and is the highest wicket taker on this ground.

The Sultan of Swing is also the highest wicket taker at Sharjah. The first bowler to take 500 ODI wickets, became a phenomenon after his two hattricks in Sharjah in 1989 and 1990. In both the hattricks, all batsmen were clean bowled without even managing to get any part of their body or bat.

In the last final played between India and Pakistan at Sharjah, Wasim almost got his third ODI hattrick with opposite number Azharuddin plumb in front - a front foot no-ball depriving him of the wicket. This happened less than a month before the 1999 World Cup. In Sharjah, Wasim has 122 wickets from 77 matches at an average of 19.51.

Shoaib Akhtar

Coca-Cola Cup Shoaib Akhtar
With less assistance from the pitch, Shoaib Akhtar would attack the stumps with his raw pace.

Arguably the world's fastest bowler, Shoaib was the player of the tournament in the April 1999 series. The Sharjah wicket, as most pitches in Asia, offers less assistance to pace and swing. The conditions are hot and humid, and a bowler like Shoaib Akhtar is not dependent on conditions.

Shoaib is a wicket taker, and can out think batsmen. His specialties include reverse swing and the slower ball. In Sharjah, Shoaib took 39 wickets from just 20 matches at an average below 17.

Saqlain Mushtaq

Pak_v_Aust_X.jpg
Saqlain proved that off-spinners can spin the ball both ways too - with his 'doosra'.

Saqlain Mushtaq was a part of the global spin quartet which threatened most batsmen around the world - along with Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Muttiah Muralitharan. Pakistan's main spinner in the 90's, along with Mushtaq Ahmed.

In Sharjah, Saqlain has 62 wickets from 36 matches at an average of 21.50. His off spin, as well as his doosra, will add variety to Afridi's fast leg breaks.

Waqar Younis

England v Pakistan X
Waqar Younis can take wickets at any stage of the game, without any assistance from the pitch.

Waqar Younis had it all - pace, swing and the brains to pick up wickets. A master of reverse swing, Wasim Akram would crush toes of batsmen more often than breaking their bones. Much like Wasim and Shoaib, Waqar isn't dependent on the pitch, and will do most of his work in the air.

Waqar Younis was the second bowler after Wasim to pick up 400 ODI wickets. In Sharjah, Waqar Younis took 114 wickets from 61 matches at an average of 20.18.

Anil Kumble (Twelvth Man)

ODI - India v Zimbabwe
Anil Kumble is India's highest wicket-taker at Sharjah, with 56 wickets from 40 matches at 27.05.

The third bowler (after Wasim and Waqar) and the first spinner in the world to take 300 ODI wickets, the only reason Anil Kumble is twelfth man is the presence of one leg spinner and one off spinner already. A direct entry into any World XI during the 90's, Kumble made his international debut in an ODI at Sharjah in April 1990, and featured in almost every match India played in Sharjah till 2000.

Kumble was also a part of many ODI series victories here, including Asia Cup 1995 and two tri-series wins in 1998. In Sharjah, Anil Kumble has 56 wickets from 40 matches at an average of 27.05.

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Edited by Nishant Jayaram