Pakistan Cricket Player: imran khan

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imran khan biography

Imran Khan was born in Lahore, NE Pakistan, on November 25, 1952. He studied at Oxford and became a champion cricketer, leading Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup. After retiring from sport, he entered politics and formed his own party, the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (Pakistan Justice Movement). He is a regular commentator on cricket.

Career Highlights

Cricketer, born in Lahore, NE Pakistan. He studied at Oxford, playing in his first Test at 18 while at the university. One of the greatest all rounders, he was a fast bowler, adaptable batsman, and astute captain who inspired Pakistan's rise to prominence in world cricket. After leading Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup, he retired with a total of 3807 runs and 362 wickets in Test matches. He also played for Sussex and Worcester. His highly publicized nine-year marriage to Jemima Goldsmith ended in 2004. In addition to following a career in politics, forming his own party, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (Pakistan Justice Movement), he is a cricket commentator.

Imran Khan

Pakistan

Full name Imran Khan Niazi

Born November 25, 1952, Lahore, Punjab

Current age 60 years 84 days

Major teams Pakistan, Dawood Club, Lahore, New South Wales, Oxford University, Pakistan International Airlines, Sussex, Worcestershire

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast

Other Administrator

Relation Cousin - Javed Burki, Cousin - Majid Khan

In a nutshell Imran Khan is indisputably the greatest cricketer to emerge from Pakistan, and arguably the world's second-best allrounder after Garry Sobers. He took a mediocre side and transformed them into world-beaters, leading them to the World Cup title in 1992. More

Batting and fielding averages

Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 6s Ct St

Tests 88 126 25 3807 136 37.69 6 18 55 28 0

ODIs 175 151 40 3709 102* 33.41 5105 72.65 1 19 36 0

First-class 382 582 99 17771 170 36.79 30 93 117 0

List A 425 384 80 10100 114* 33.22 5 66 84 0

Bowling averages

Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10

Tests 88 142 19458 8258 362 8/58 14/116 22.81 2.54 53.7 17 23 6

ODIs 175 153 7461 4844 182 6/14 6/14 26.61 3.89 40.9 3 1 0

First-class 382 65224 28726 1287 8/34 22.32 2.64 50.6 70 13

List A 425 19122 11312 507 6/14 6/14 22.31 3.54 37.7 12 6 0

Career statistics

Test debut England v Pakistan at Birmingham, Jun 3-8, 1971 scorecard

Last Test Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Faisalabad, Jan 2-7, 1992 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut England v Pakistan at Nottingham, Aug 31, 1974 scorecard

Last ODI England v Pakistan at Melbourne, Mar 25, 1992 scorecard

ODI statistics

First-class span 1969-1992

List A span 1973-1992

Profile

Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heartthrob. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s. As such he and TV completed the popularisation of the game in his country which Hanif Mohammad and the radio had begun. Thousands, if not millions, who had never dreamt of bowling fast on heartless baked mud suddenly wanted to emulate Imran and his lithe bounding run, his leap and his reverse-swinging yorker. He also made himself into an allrounder worth a place for his batting alone, and captained Pakistan as well as anyone, rounding off his career with the 1992 World Cup. He played hardly any domestic cricket in Pakistan: instead he just flew in for home series from Worcestershire or Sussex, or rather from the more fashionable London salons. His averages (37 with the bat, 22 with the ball) put him at the top of the quartet of allrounders (Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev being the others) who dominated Test cricket in the 1980s. And whereas Botham declined steadily, Imran just got better and better: in his last 10 years of international cricket he played 51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He gave no quarter during some memorable battles with West Indies - Pakistan drew three series with them at a time when everybody else was being bounced out of sight - and he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, taking 10 for 77 with an imperious display in the decisive victory at Headingley. After retirement he remained a high-profile figure, with his marriage - and subsequent split with - the socialite Jemima Goldsmith and a not entirely successful move into the labyrinthine world of Pakistan politics.

Martin Williamson

Osman Samiuddin on Imran Khan

The original transformer

Imran was at the heart of shaping modern-day Pakistan cricket, and all we love about the team and their play can be traced back to him

Stats analysis

A giant among allrounders

At his peak, Imran the bowler was easily among the best in the world, while his skilful batting and inspirational captaincy made him the complete package

Cricinfo picks - Our top articles on this player

'The more the pressure, the stronger I got' (Jul 30, 2010)

The charismatic former Pakistan captain on wanting to be fast, teaching Wasim and Waqar to bowl, the allrounder wars of the 1980s, ball-tampering, and more

Style and substance (Nov 19, 2008)

The man who made Pakistan believe in themselves

The flawed, the fabulous (Sep 20, 2010)

Imran was a true hero and he had the cracks in his armour to prove it