Abdul Qadir

Leg-spin was considered a dying art by the time Abdul Qadir arrived on the international scene. The fast bowlers of the West Indies and Australia had made the craft look almost obsolete through the 1970s. Qadir single-handedly reversed that, becoming one of the most influential spin bowlers cricket has produced and keeping wrist-spin alive for the generations that followed.

Qadir made his Test debut against England in Lahore in December 1977, just two years into his first-class career. Early results were mixed, but he soon began delivering the performances that would define him. A six-wicket haul at Lord's in 1982 helped Pakistan to a historic win in England, and further destructive spells followed against Australia and, most memorably, the West Indies. His 6 for 16 against the West Indies at Faisalabad in 1986 bowled them out for their then-lowest Test total and remains one of the great spells in Pakistani cricket history.

Abdul's finest hour came on the 1987 tour of England. He took a match haul of 10 wickets in the drawn fifth Test to help Pakistan preserve their lead and secure their first-ever series win in England. When England returned to Pakistan later that year, he went even further, taking 30 wickets in three Tests. Qadir's influence was not limited to Test cricket. He helped establish wrist-spin as a genuine weapon in one-day cricket, long before leg-spin became a staple of limited-overs attacks. He played important roles in Pakistan's 1983 and 1987 World Cup campaigns, taking 24 wickets across the two tournaments.

His importance to Pakistan cricket went beyond those numbers, though. His distinctive action, variations and attacking mindset influenced a generation of wrist-spinners, including Mushtaq Ahmed and Danish Kaneria. That influence reached beyond Pakistan too, with Shane Warne among the young bowlers who looked to him for inspiration. After retiring, he continued to pass on his knowledge through coaching and mentorship, briefly serving as Pakistan's chief selector and later running a cricket academy in Lahore, while continuing to work with young spinners.

Qadir's son, Usman, took up leg-spin as well. He represented Pakistan, bowling with an action that closely echoed his father's. A career hampered by limited opportunities eventually led him to retire in 2024, after which he chose to pursue cricket in Australia instead. Qadir's legacy was ultimately about more than the wickets he took. He helped keep attacking leg-spin alive at a time when the craft was fading from the international game, and he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2022.