GODS of Cricket - Imran Khan

Less than three decades ago, and especially in the late 1980’s, Pakistan announced itself as one of the greatest powers in world cricket, thanks to a man who regularly made headlines in the cricketing fraternity, on and off the field. With 88 wickets in 13 Tests after a one-year tenure rounded off after a maiden series win in India, as captain in 1982-83, the Oxford University graduate single-handedly dictated terms like others in his era like an Ian Botham and a Kapil Dev, occasionally even more effective as a match winner. Imran Khan was one of the finest all-rounders and arguably the biggest match winner Pakistan had ever seen: a rockstar on the cricket field and a playboy in parties, Imran Khan was the face of competitiveness and determination that went on to define the Pakistan team and set precedents for future.

Imran Khan Niazi

And yet, incredibly, Imran Khan Niazi was an extremely shy boy for much of his childhood and youth. Although meant to lead his side, Khan could not handle his captaincy in his initial days due to his shyness. “When I became Pakistan captain in 1982 I could not even address the team. I would tell my manager, ‘Look, this is what I want to convey, can you tell them for me?’”, he says in an interview by The Guardian. It was the start of the days of his prime, when he was not exactly in his prime. The pathan became a cricketing force, primarily a wicket-taking fast bowler, only in his 30’s when his bursts ensured the rare double of having scored 3000 runs and having claimed 300 wickets in his career, only one of eight cricketers to do so. He achieved this feat in 75 Tests, second fastest after Ian Botham, with whom he was never best friends.

He was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1983), Indian Cricket Cricketer of the year (1990) and an inductee into ICC Hall of Fame (2010).

Imran Khan was from a middle class family of Pakistan, his father being a civil engineer. He studied in Aitchison College in Lahore and the Royal Grammar School in Worcester; he later enrolled with Oxford University to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics. During his initial cricketing days in his 20’s, Khan was not perceived as one of the future greats, and by far. His bowling was ordinary and he bowled medium pace, and his batting was nothing special either. As time passed, his cricketing skills became better and better. In 1978, Khan clocked 139.7 km/h as the third fastest bowler in the world in a bowling contest in Perth, Australia, only behind Jeff Thomson and Michael Holding.

Imran Khan was one of the fiercest bowlers of his era

Imran Khan became a premier batsman and bowler for Pakistan during the 80’s when he topped the bowling averages in the series that he played in, and performed with the bat. His retirement in 1987 had to be reversed due to an interference by the then President of Pakistan, Zia-ul-Haq, who forced him to continue to play for his country. Immediately after his return, Pakistan registered a series win against West Indies, a stupendous feat back then. Imran Khan had claimed 23 wickets in that series, in just three Tests.

His return was capped off as he led his side to their first and only World Cup triumph in 1992, when he was still a decent cricketer at 39. And with that he retired on a high note.

He has dedicated himself to social work and politics, with initiatives like the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore and the Namal College and his own political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

He claims to have felt the responsibility towards others at a point after his retirement. “I realised I’d been given so much by the Almighty that I had a responsibility to society. I never would have got into politics otherwise,” he is claimed to have said by a newspaper. Inspite of the criticism that his political views do not create a stir among people as his cricketing feats did, and that his political party is only popular with the minority educated and affluent families of Pakistan, Khan makes no compromises and still fights on alone – a trait that made him a cricketing legend.

And essentially, he was the one man who had such a tremendous influence on his national side and indeed world cricket that parts of cricket and cricketing trends were permanently modified. The culture of fast bowling in Pakistan, the fierce fighting character instilled among weaker teams and especially in Pakistan and a lift to enormous levels the standards of all-rounders was all courtesy Imran Khan. It is these qualities and the countless bursts of fantastic spells of fast bowling and batting that won his side so many matches that Imran Khan is regarded highly of. He was a leader, a revolutionary and a man full of self-belief. A GOD of Cricket.