Mushtaq Ahmed: 10 interesting facts about the former Pakistan leg-spinner

1.  Under-19 champion

Mushtaq first showed glimpses of his dominance at an early age. He played the 1987-88 Youth World Cup and emerged as joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament, snaring 19 wickets at 16.21.

2.  World Cup heroics

Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning campaign had its heroes. People remember Inzamam-ul-Haq’s belligerence, Imran Khan’s iconic leadership, Wasim Akram’s Man of the Match-winning final performance, and Ramiz Raja’s centuries. What a lot of people fail to recollect is Mushtaq’s tremendous spells against New Zealand in Pakistan’s must-win final league game (two for 18 in 10 overs) and the final (three for 41) where he accounted for Graham Gooch, Graeme Hick, and Dermot Reeve.

3.  New Zealand basher

Mushtaq played a total of 25 matches across formats against New Zealand, snaring 55 wickets at 22.80 with three five-wicket hauls and two 10-fors. Of these, six were Tests, and they accounted for 35 wickets at a mere 20.05. He also bowled some tremendous spells against New Zealand in ODIs, most memorably in the above mentioned 1992 World Cup league match and semi-final.

4.  Mushtaq and Mushtaq

An off-spinner and a leg-spinner bowling in tandem is often a captain’s dream. Pakistan enjoyed 16 Tests and 40 ODIs of this when leggie Mushtaq Ahmed and offie Saqlain Mushtaq bowled in tandem. They are one of the few bowling pairs who share a name, albeit a first name and a last name.

5.  Nerves of steel

The first Test between Australia and Pakistan at Karachi in 1994-95 would go down as one of the most thrilling encounters ever between the two sides.Australia piled on 337 in the first innings with Mushtaq taking three wickets. Pakistan were then bundled out for 256. Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis then combined to bowl Australia out for 232, leaving Pakistan 314 to win.

At 258 for nine, the match was virtually finished for Pakistan. Inzamam was going strong at one end, but he was getting no support till No. 11 Mushtaq walked out. Against all odds, the leg-spinner stood his ground, combating Shane Warne — who had taken a five-wicket haul — and ensuring Pakistan got over the line with a 57-run partnership for the last wicket.

6.  Match-fixing allegations

Salim Malik was a much-maligned name following the Test series between Australia and Pakistan after it emerged that he had tried to bribe a few Australian cricketers to under-perform. In 2000, Justice Qayyum published a report on match-fixing and named Mushtaq as someone the PCB should keep a close eye on. He said, “There are sufficient grounds to cast strong doubt on Mushtaq Ahmed…He has brought the name of the Pakistan team into disrepute with, inter alia, associating with gamblers. This commission therefore recommends that Mushtaq Ahmed be censured, kept under close watch and be not given any office of responsibility [either captain or selector] in the team or on the board.”

7.  Sussex champion

In 2003, Mushtaq became a household name for Sussex after taking 100 wickets in the season — the first time a bowler had managed this in five years. Moreover, he was an integral reason Sussex went on to win the County Championship that year. It was the first time Sussex ever managed to do so; but it was not the last, as they won two more times thanks to Mushtaq again.

8.  Wisden cricketer of the year

In 1997, he was named one of Wisden’s cricketers of the year.

9.  ICL stint

Toward the end of his playing days, Mushtaq played for the Lahore Badshahs in the 2008 season of Indian Cricket League (ICL).

10.  Coaching career

After retiring from all forms of cricket, Mushtaq was snapped up by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as a spin coach. Under him the likes of Graeme Swann blossomed. He was later hired by Pakistan as their spin coach; a role he still performs.