Wasim Akram, a former Pakistani cricketer, took 31 five-wicket hauls during his career in international cricket. In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer")[1][2] refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded as a notable achievement,[3] and as of 2014 only 41 bowlers have taken more than 15 five-wicket hauls at international level in their cricketing careers.[4][5] A left-arm fast bowler who represented his country between 1984 and 2003, the BBC described Akram as "one of the greatest left-arm bowlers in the history of world cricket",[6] while West Indian batsman Brian Lara said that Akram was "definitely the most outstanding bowler [I] ever faced".[7]
Akram made his Test debut in January 1985,[8] in an innings defeat by New Zealand in Auckland.[9] The following Test, in a man-of-the-match performance, he took ten wickets over the two innings, securing his first two five-wicket hauls but still ended on the losing side.[10] He took another pair of five-wicket hauls in a single match five years later, against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).[11] His career-best figures for an innings were 7 wickets for 119 runs against New Zealand in Wellington, in February 1994.[8]
Making his One Day International (ODI) debut in 1984 against New Zealand in Faisalabad, Akram's first ODI five-wicket haul came the following year against Australia in a match which Pakistan won at the MCG.[12] In 1989, he took five wickets in an innings, in a performance that included a hat-trick (three wickets in consecutive deliveries), against the West Indies.[13] His career-best bowling in ODI cricket was 5 wickets for 15 runs against Zimbabwe in Karachi, in December 1993.[8]
Retiring from international cricket in 2003 after nearly 20 years,[8] Akram took 25 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket and 6 in ODIs. As of 2014, his position in the all-time lists for taking five wickets in an innings the most times is seventh overall in both Tests and ODIs.[4][5]
- ^ Buckle, Greg (30 April 2007). "Pigeon's almost perfect sendoff". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 15 August 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
McGrath didn't get the five-for that he had hoped for...
- ^ "Swinging it for the Auld Enemy – An interview with Ryan Sidebottom". The Scotsman. 17 August 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
... I'd rather take fifers (five wickets) for England ...
- ^ Pervez, M. A. (2001). A Dictionary of Cricket. Orient Blackswan. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-7370-184-9.
- ^ a b "Records / Test matches / Bowling records / Most five-wickets-in-an-innings in a career". Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Records / One-Day Internationals / Bowling records / Most five-wickets-in-an-innings in a career". Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ "Wasim Akram". BBC Sport. 3 January 2003. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
- ^ "Akram still Lara's No.1". Fox Sports. 29 March 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Wasim Akram". Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
- ^ "Pakistan in New Zealand Test Series – 2nd Test". Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
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