Published: Aug 02, 2016, 05:46 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 02, 2016, 05:46 PM (IST)
August 2 marks the birthday of Pakistan’s most successful Test debutant, Mohammad Zahid. Twenty years ago, this young lanky pacer from a small Pakistani town of Gaggu Mandi made waves in international cricket. On his Test debut against New Zealand at Rawalpindi in late 1996, Zahid, then 20, blew the New Zealand batting line-up away.
He returned with figures of 11 for 130 in the match which Pakistan won by an innings and 13 runs. Four of them came in the first innings while seven came in the second. This remains the record for most wickets taken by a Pakistani cricketer on his Test debut. ALSO READ: “It breaks my heart to see what has happened to Junaid Khan” : Mohammad Zahid.
Pakistan always had a supply of fast bowlers at its disposal, but what stood young Zahid apart was his lethal pace, which made him an exciting prospect back then. Sadly, he could add just four more Test caps and 11 ODI caps to his career tally and faded away. A series of back injuries hampered his career, which remains a tale of unfulfilled potential.
On his 40th birthday, we bring to you an old, rare video from the vault. The video is from the same game, his Test debut, where the Kiwis simply had no answer to his sheer pace. Watch it here:
