It is rightly said that the field of play is the undesignated second home for the players as they are known to spend most of their playing time at the stadium and in between the 22 yards, honing their skills time and again to be able to consistently perform for their side. The gruelling hours of practice and the euphoria after a special victory, there are certain instances in a particular match venue that are etched in the heart of every cricketer.
After having travelled throughout the world for their matches, the players have developed a special connection to a particular stadium where they have performed exceedingly well as compared to the other match venues. The atmosphere inside the stadium, the conditions on offer and the flashback of the past performances; the players relive these fond memories from the moment they step on the field.
In the modern day format with the extravaganza of T-20 cricket and the innovation by the batsmen all around the world, it all boils down to the performance of the bowling unit on that day as it invariably decides the outcome of the game.
Talking about the bowling unit, let us relive the performances of five bowlers and their favourite match venue.
#5 Muttiah Muralitharan – 82 wickets at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The champion off-spinner is arguably the best spinner produced in the history of Sri Lankan cricket. Muttiah Muralitharan is regarded as the legend of the modern era and has time and again troubled the opposition with his unusual action and deceptive variations.
The now 45-year-old carried the burden of a nation on his shoulders by spearheading the bowling unit and successfully emerged as their highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka across all the formats of the game.
Muralitharan stamped his authority on the world map with some scintillating performances for his team for well over a decade of years. In the 90's where most of the subcontinent matches were played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the off-spinner bamboozled the batsmen with his variations and skills in the middle over to give his team an upper hand in the closely fought contest.
In the 45 matches played at the venue, he scalped 82 wickets at an average of 17.73. He registered his best figures of seven wickets for 30 runs against India in the year 2000 in Coca-Cola Cup.
#4 Mashrafe Mortaza – 84 wickets at Shere Bangla Stadium
Mashrafe Mortaza has been one of the most prolific performers for the Bangladesh outfit for many years. The right arm medium pacer has been a vital cog in the bowling unit ever since his debut for the national side. Clocking a speed of 140 kph on a consistent basis, the opening bowler has troubled the batsmen with his express pace and his astute line and length.
The 33-year-old is currently at the helm of affairs as the captain of the One Day unit and the team has performed tremendously well under his leadership. The evolution of Mortaza from an opening bowler to the leader of the pack has benefited the future of the Bangladesh Cricket Team.
Mortaza has given the fans at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur plenty of reasons to cheer as he has performed exceedingly well for his nation at that particular ground. Featuring in 56 matches, the veteran pacer has picked up 84 wickets at an average of 23.41 with his best figures of four for 29 against England in October last year.
His match-winning performance with the ball helped the hosts to an uncanny 34-run victory against their English counterparts.
#3 Shakib Al Hasan – 103 wickets at Shere Bangla Stadium
One of the finest all-rounders to emerge from Bangladesh cricket, Shakib Al Hasan has impressed one and all with his ability with both bat and ball. The 30-year-old has single-handedly carried the responsibility of his side and emerged as one of the leading all-around players in the world.
Bowling his slow left-arm spin, he has reaped rewards for his consistency to bowl in the channel of uncertainty. He has also used the subtle change of pace to deceive batsmen. Playing most of the home matches at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, Shakib has used the slow nature of the pitch and conditions on offer to the fullest as he has scalped 103 wickets in 63 matches with an average of 25.24.
In the year 2015, Shakib registered his best figures at this match venue as he wrecked the batting line up of Zimbabwe with a crucial five-wicket haul. In his quota of 10 overs, he picked up five wickets, giving away only 47 runs to help his side to a famous win.
#2 Waqar Younis – 114 wickets at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The golden era in the history of Pakistan cricket was the 90s when the most lethal pair of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis dominated world cricket with their swing bowling. The latter was popular for his pace with the new ball and the command over the variations with the older ball to trouble the opposition batting unit.
The sight of Waqar steaming in at his very best still gives nightmares to many world class opening batsmen. Such was the demeanour of the seamer that he emerged as the second leading wicket taker for Pakistan in the shorter format of the game.
Sharjah has been a happy hunting ground for Waqar as he picked up 114 wickets at the venue in the 61 matches he’s featured with an average of 20. He accounted for his best figures at this stadium with a match winning five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in 1990.
He scalped six wickets for 26 runs in his spell of 10 overs to give Pakistan a comfortable victory.
#1 Wasim Akram – 122 wickets at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Wasim Akram is regarded as one the legends of the modern era and the finest bowler to have ever played the sport. The Sultan of Swing troubled the batsmen with his control over the line and length and his ability to swing the ball both ways. The now 50-year-old was been the most consistent performer for Pakistan Cricket and tops the list of the leading wicket taker for the side with 502 wickets.
Like his teammate Waqar Younis, Akram too enjoyed the condition on offer at Sharjah as he has been the most effective seamer at the venue. He holds the record for most number of wickets at a single venue as he scalped 122 wickets in 77 matches at the ground.
The left arm seamer registered his best figures at the ground in the year 1989 against the West Indies with a crucial five-wicket haul to help his team post a comprehensive victory. In the quota of 10 overs, Akram picked up five wickets, giving away on 38 runs to break the backbone of the Caribbean batting unit.
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