Aaqib Javed turned only 29 when he finds himself in a new role of a selector in the panel that picks Pakistan’s senior national squads! Although his first-class cricket career wasn’t over, the Sheikhupura-born right-arm fast-medium bowler played his last international matches for his country in 1998-99.
Aaqib Javed debuted for Pakistan in New Zealand in 1988-89 at the age of 16 and immediately showed promise to figure greatly in Pakistan’s new and lethal bowling line-up. Although overshadowed by the exploits of Waqar Younis who made his first appearance for the country a season later.
Aaqib’s talent lay in accuracy and his movement off the seam away from the right-hander. Aaqib Javed has produced many match-winning performances, like his famous spell of 7-37 against India at Sharjah in 1991 that included a hat-trick of all Ibw’s which were also the best bowling figures ever in a One-day International for a long time.
His bowling in the World Cup of 1992 played a major role in Pakistan’s success, especially in the final. His out-swing bowling was unplayable to Alec Stewart and other opening pairs. Finally, having cemented his place in the Pakistan team, Aaqib provided support to Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis to make the Pakistan pace attack even more formidable.
Incredibly Aaqib Javed made his first-class debut for Lahore in 1985 at the age of only 12, 76 days. In under-19 competitions, he was a star bowler. In 1987-88 he went to Australia to play in the Youth World Cup and in the next season, he impressed Imran Khan with his bowling skills, while Pakistan captain while bowling in the nets.
He was taken to play some charity matches in India with a team that Imran led. On that tour, he continued to impress Imran. On his return, he was a surprise choice to tour Australia and New Zealand in 1988-89, where he made both his Test and One-day International debuts.
With a long but easy run-up and high action, he has fine control of line and length. In the Nehru Cup final against West Indies in 1989-90 he gave away only 25 runs in ten overs in Pakistan’s win by four wickets. He bowled with as much accuracy in the 1992 World Cup final against England, giving away fewer than three runs an over for the wickets of Alec Stewart and Neil Fairbrother.
In the 1992 Test series against England at Old Trafford, Aaqib became the first player to be fined by an ICC referee, the late Sir Conrad Hunte, for showing dissent after umpire Roy Palmer had warned him for intimidating bowling at the tail-ender Devon Malcolm.
On the 1992-93 tour of New Zealand, he was once again disciplined by a referee, this time by Peter Burge who suspended him for one match after the One-day International at Napier for using foul language to umpire Brian Aldridge after an appeal was rejected.
A back injury prevented his participation in the West Indies tour when Pakistan went there in 1992-93, and he had to withdraw from the team before the first Test. In the next six years, he was a regular member of the national side, being provided chances only on a dire-need basis and by 1998-99 his effectiveness had fizzled out too.
In a first-class career, Aaqib has appeared for teams like Allied Bank, the English county of Hampshire (in 1991 as a replacement for Malcolm Marshall and taking 53 wickets at 31.24 runs apiece), and at home for Islamabad, his native Sheikhupura, Pakistan Automobile Corporation (PACO) outfit, and Lahore Division. Aaqib Javed was extremely unlucky to be in and out of the Pakistan side too much for his liking, and media and critics made him more of an impact as a one-day player.
In a total of 121 matches, he has scored 819 runs as a tail-ender at an average of 9.41, held 19 catches, and taken 348 wickets at 26.66 runs each. His only score of fifty was a 65, for Allied Bank against Habib Bank at Lahore in 1996-97 and, in the same match; he achieved his best innings bowling figures, 9-51, which also included a hat-trick.
He has taken 54 wickets in 22 Tests at an average of 34.70 with the best of 5 for 84 against Sri Lanka in 1995-96. That was the only instance when he picked five wickets in an innings.
In 163 One-day Internationals for Pakistan, Aaqib took 182 wickets at an average of 31.43 which had six feats of four or more wickets in a match. His best bowling was 7-37 as mentioned above, now having been surpassed by Waqar Younis 7-36 against England, accomplished at Leeds last year in June. Eventually, the record was broken by Shahid Afridi, who took 7 for 12 against West Indies at Guyana Cricket Stadium in 2013.
In 250 List-A matches, he picked up 289 wickets at 30.14 apiece, with the best of 7 for 37, including 5 times five wickets in an innings. Aaqib Javed’s career was finished amid the bitterness of Pakistan’s match-fixing scandals, in which he was one of them who was cleared in the Justice Abdul Qayyum report.
Aaqib Javed’s family lived in Mudassirabad. He completed his initial education at Bhama Kalan village close to Raiwind city. He studied his college life at Islamia College Lahore. Furthermore, he married journalist Farzana Burki. Currently, he has been associated in PSL with Lahore Qalandar team.
