Former Pakistan skipper Javed Miandad was celebrated as a superstar in his country in the 1980s. The ace cricketer was just 17 years old when he was picked in Pakistan’s squad for Prudential World Cup in 1975. The veteran batsman went on to represent Pakistan in six World Cups and was also the first player to record nine consecutive fifty-plus scores in ODIs. He represented Pakistan in 124 Tests and 233 ODIs and amassed 8832 and 7381 runs, respectively.
As Miandad celebrates his 64th birthday today; we take a look at his five spectacular innings from the past:
163 vs New Zealand (Lahore, 1976)
A 19-year-old Miandad etched his name in the history book by scoring a Test century against New Zealand in his debut match and in the process, became the youngest debutant to smash a hundred. He walked to bat at number five, when Pakistan was reeling at 44/3. He also stitched a 281-run partnership for the fifth-wicket with Asif Iqbal. He was eventually dismissed at 163. Pakistan won the match by six wickets.
119* vs India (Lahore, 1982)
Miandad smashed an unbeaten 119 runs off just 77 balls against India in an ODI match in Lahore. Miandad’s blistering knock was laced with six fours and fives. He stitched a 158-run partnership with Zaheer Abbas in an ODI match shortened to 33 overs as Pakistan posted 252 runs for the loss of three wickets. However, his efforts went in vain as India won the match by 18 runs.
116* vs India (Austral-Asia Cup Final, 1986, Sharjah)
Miandad guided Pakistan to a one-wicket win over arch-rival India in the Austral-Asia Cup final in 1986 in Sharjah. In the end, the match took an interesting turn with Pakistan needed four runs off the last ball to win the game. Miandad gave Pakistan cricket fans an unforgettable memory to cheer for by clubbing Chetan Sharma for a six on the last ball. He remained unbeaten at 116 runs.
280* vs India (Hyderabad (Sindh), 1983)
It was arguably Miandad’s best knock in red-ball cricket and his highest score in Test. Miandad was just 20 run shy from scoring his maiden triple hundred in the longest format of the game when then Pakistan skipper Imran Khan declared the country’s first innings at 581/3. Miandad’s 280 runs came off 460 balls and was laced with 19 boundaries and one six. Pakistan went on to win the match by an innings and 119 runs.
114 vs West Indies (Georgetown, 1988)
Miandad was in the limelight during Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies in 1988 for his lack of runs in away games. And the former Pakistan skipper shut down his critic with some brilliant batting display in the Caribbean Island. He scored 114 runs off 235 balls in the first innings of the first match of the series against the able bowling unit of West Indies, comprising Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Patrick Patterson and Winston Benjamin. Pakistan won the Test match by nine wickets.
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