Former West Indies middle order batsman Keith Arthurton, took time from his busy schedule last week, to pay tribute to former Pakistani, world class right arm leg spinner, Abdul Qadir.
‘He was a top class spin bowler. He truly tested your ability. When I batted against him, I used my feet a lot to negate the spin, because he truly spun the ball a great deal,’ ARTIE SAID.
He recalled fondly, a particular match in St. Lucia when he played against the Pakistan touring team and on that day, won the battle over the great leg spinner, belting him for several huge sixes in the process. He was congratulated by the great man on that day for his wonderful batting.
The former leg-spin maestro Abdul Qadir Khan died of cardiac arrest at the age of 63 in Lahore, his family confirmed last Friday.
Khan’s son Salman Qadir confirmed the demise of the iconic cricketer. The former star was shifted to Services Hospital after the heart attack but he could not survive.
“My father never had a heart problem so it was sudden and shocking that he suffered a severe attack and could not survive,” Salman Qadir told AFP.
Known as the dancing bowler due to his peculiar bowling style, Abdul Qadir played 67 Test and 104 One-Day International matches for Pakistan. The legendary cricketer played his first Test against England in Lahore on Dec 14, 1977 and first ODI against New Zealand in Birmingham on Jun 11, 1983.
He played his last international Test against West Indies in Lahore on Dec 6, 1990, while his last ODI was against Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Nov 2, 1993. He also served as the chief selector of Pakistan team.