Saeed Anwar: the left-handed opener with wrists of magic

Some batsmen are known for mountains of runs, others for their style. Saeed Anwar is remembered for both. The left-handed opener had such suppleness in his wrists that even the fastest delivery, once met by his bat, would slip through the fielders on the off side. His flick shot marked almost every innings he played. In the 1990s he was the foundation of Pakistan’s batting. His 20 One-day International (ODI) centuries and 11 Test centuries bear witness to his consistency¹.

Early life and start in cricket

Saeed Anwar was born in Karachi on 6 September 1968. His father played club cricket². He batted left-handed and occasionally bowled slow left-arm spin.

His international career began on 1 January 1989 with an ODI against West Indies at the WACA Ground in Perth, Australia. He scored only 3. The team was then led by Imran Khan². His first big success came a year later. On 17 February 1990 he scored 126 off just 99 balls against Sri Lanka in Adelaide. He made his Test debut on 23 November 1990 against West Indies in Faisalabad, but it was a poor start. He failed to score in the first innings¹.

Hero of Sharjah and peak in ODIs

The Sharjah ground suited Saeed Anwar well. In a tournament played there in October and November 1993, he scored centuries in three consecutive matches: 107 against Sri Lanka on 30 October, 131 against West Indies on 1 November and 111 against Sri Lanka the next day¹.

The most famous innings of his career came on 21 May 1997 against India in Chennai, in an Independence Cup match. That day he scored 194 off 146 balls, including 22 fours and 5 sixes. The innings is still counted among the most memorable in ODI cricket. In January 1998 he again made his mark against India in the final of a tournament in Dhaka, scoring 140 off 132 balls¹².

At the 1999 World Cup he scored two centuries in a row: 103 against Zimbabwe at The Oval on 11 June and an unbeaten 113 against New Zealand in the semi-final at Manchester on 16 June, which took Pakistan to the final². His last ODI century was 101 against India in a World Cup match at Centurion on 1 March 2003¹.

Place in Test cricket

His first Test century came in February 1994, when he made 169 against New Zealand in Wellington. In August the same year he scored 136 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. His 176 against England at The Oval in August 1996 was one of his most beautiful innings. In November 1996 he also served as stand-in captain in the Test series against New Zealand and scored 149 in Rawalpindi¹².

In February 1998 he made 118 against South Africa in Durban. In October 1998 he scored 145 in Rawalpindi and 126 in Peshawar against Australia, two centuries in a single series. His best Test innings was an unbeaten 188 against India at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in an Asian Test Championship match in February 1999. He was at the crease from the start of the innings to the end and carried his bat². He then scored 119 against Australia in Brisbane and 123 against Sri Lanka in Galle in June 2000¹.

He captained Pakistan in 7 Tests between 1996 and 2000, and in 11 ODIs between 1995 and 2000. His last Test was against Bangladesh in Multan on 29 August 2001, in which he scored 101. His last ODI was against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on 4 March 2003¹.

Statistics

Source: ESPNcricinfo Statsguru¹. The figures are for his international career.

Influence and legacy

Saeed Anwar is counted among the openers who changed the way ODI innings began. His ODI strike rate was 80.67¹, which was considered exceptional for openers of that era. He took charge of bowlers in the first overs, yet there was not a hint of crudeness in his game. Timing and placement stood out in every shot. His contemporaries and commentators counted him among the most elegant batsmen of the 1990s².

His 4052 Test runs at an average of 45.52 show that he was not only a player of the shorter format. He also scored centuries on the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand, where Asian batsmen generally struggle¹.

In 1997 Wisden named him among its Cricketers of the Year. In 2000 the Government of Pakistan awarded him the Pride of Performance². Even today, when a left-handed opener in Pakistan sends the ball towards cover with a flick of the wrists, older fans cannot help remembering Saeed Anwar.