Former Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir dies aged 63, Shane Warne leads tributes
Friday 6 September 2019 19:03, UK
Former Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir has died aged 63 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Legendary Australian leggie Shane Warne led the tributes to Qadir, who took 236 wickets for Pakistan in 67 Tests at an average of 32.81 in a career that spanned 1977 to 1990.
That haul included figures of 9-56 against England in Lahore in 1987 - the best return by a Pakistan bowler in Test matches.
"It's very sad news," Warne told Sky Sports The Ashes, "so condolences to Abdul Qadir's family.
"I had the opportunity to meet him in 1994 on my first tour to Pakistan. I think a lot of people who bowled leg-spin, like I did, he was the guy who we looked up to in the eighties. He was the main leg-spinner in that era.
"He was a terrific bowler who bamboozled a lot of batsmen. His record is a terrific one."
Sky Sports commentator and former England captain David Gower added: "He was a brilliant, brilliant leggie.
"I enjoyed playing against him - partly the challenge of playing people of his skill. Abdul would bamboozle you at times and he would always ask you 'have you picked the googly?'
"He always said he had a couple of those at least and if you played and missed at one you'd say 'yes, sorry, I just didn't play it very well'.
"I'd run at him a few times too, just to try and put it back on him too. He was just a lovely guy with a huge amount of skill so our condolences to all close to him."
