Pakistan wicketkeeper Wasim Bari rose at dawn during the third Test against New Zealand at Auckland in 1979 to complete repairing his gloves. Twelve hours later, he had rewritten the Test cricket record books. Bari, 30, caught seven of the eight New Zealand batsmen to be dismissed for 229 on the first day of the third Test in Auckland.
He bettered the previous record of six by Australian Wally Grout, South African Dennis Lindsay, England’s John Murray and India’s Syed Kirmani. He needs just one more dismissal to equal Grout’s first-class record of eight in one inning. Wasim Bari register his name in the record books quickly, when he spectacularly equaled the record for 8 catches in a match in 1971, against England. Colin Milburn was the first player to be dismissed from a Test match, which he played in England.
Wasim Bari may not be spectacular in the mould of Alan Knott, Rodney Marsh, or Jeffrey Dujon. Although athletic dives and spectacular catches were not his forte but a safe wicketkeeper behind the wickets. Wasim Bari said: “I did not keep wicket well in the second Test. I found that the rubber on my gloves was worn so I spent five hours—three last night and two early this morning—repairing them.’ According to Bob Taylor, a wicketkeeper can only demonstrate his mettle by taking on spin bowlers at the stumps, and Bari did just that.
