Pakistani spin legend Abdul Qadir inducted in ICC Hall of Fame

SYDNEY: Pakistan’s spin bowling legend Abdul Qadir has become the country’s latest inductee into the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Hall of Fame, becoming the seventh Pakistani to join the prestigious list of cricketers from all over the world.

Qadir’s induction into the hall of fame was announced on Tuesday by the ICC. He was joined by West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Englishwoman Charlotte Edwards.

Qadir, who passed away in 2019 due to cardiac failure, represented Pakistan in 67 Tests taking 236 wickets. He also amassed 132 wickets in 104 one-day internationals (ODI).

“Qadir’s influence on the game in Pakistan and the wider world is still felt strongly. Often labelled the saviour of leg-spin bowling during the 1970s and 80s, Qadir was renowned for outfoxing some of the greatest batters in the game with his dynamic action and majestic variation,” the ICC said while announcing his nomination.

His 236 wickets across his 13-year career place him third in the list of Pakistan’s all-time prolific spinners.

“In limited overs cricket, he was a pioneer in wrist-spin techniques which can still be felt today, and he proved to be a pivotal figure in Pakistan’s 1983 and 1987 World Cup campaigns.

“Following his retirement, he turned to coaching, mentoring fellow countrymen Mushtaq Ahmed, Danish Kaneria and Shahid Afridi, as well as Australia's Shane Warne and South Africa's Imran Tahir,” the ICC added.

Qadir’s son Usman now plays for Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Usman thanked the ICC on behalf of his family.

“I want to say thank you very much to the ICC for nominating my father for induction into the Hall of Fame. It is a very big honour for the family to hear of this news, we see it as a huge achievement, and one that my father would be very proud of if he was still with us today,” he said.

Qadir’s former teammate Zaheer Abbas said that he was lucky not to play against the star player and termed him one of the best right-arm leg spinners in the world.

“In my point of view, he was a great competitor all the time smiling, talking about cricket, and he wants to know the weakness of a batsman and he used to challenge him while bowling. When he used to get wickets of any great batsman. He used to feel so proud of himself that not only his whole team was so happy for him for his achievements,” Zaheer said. 

Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar was also full of praise for Qadir, saying that the player was a magician and it was joyful to watch him bowl.

“He was called Bahu which means a magician. And you know, everything about him was like a magician does, a lot of hands and movements to distract you while he performs his magic. He had everything, you name it, every single variety delivery that the leg spinner possesses and he was difficult to play,” Gavaskar said.