LAHORE: Former Pakistan captains Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir were posthumously inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board Hall of Fame, the PCB announced on Saturday.

The two stalwarts joined Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Zaheer Abbas, who were the initial inductees to the PCB Hall of Fame by virtue of being part of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Fazal, considered the first superstar of Pakistan cricket, and leg-spin legend Qadir were voted on to the Hall of Fame by a 13-person independent voting panel comprising former cricketers and members of the media after the PCB cricket committee had finalised a shortlist of retired players.

“It is befitting that Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir, legends from two different eras, be voted by their peers and admirers into the PCB Hall of Fame for 2021,” PCB chairman Ramiz Raja said. “This is a testament to their enormous popularity and is also a recognition of their services to this great game.

“Fazal’s heroics in the early days introduced Pakistan cricket to the world as a force to be reckoned with and later inspired the next generations of fast bowlers. The wily, crafty and magical Abdul Qadir revived and reignited the slowly vanishing art of wrist-spin bowling.

“Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir are all-time greats and truly outstanding ambassadors for Pakistan and global cricket. This is just a small token of our appreciation and gratitude towards their contributions.”

Fazal, who passed away in May 2005, was Pakistan’s first great bowler with the paceman inspiring the team to several famous victories after the country made its international debut in 1952.

Serving Pakistan for a decade, he took 139 wickets in 34 Tests and was bestowed with the President’s Pride of Performance Award in 1958 before being posthumously awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2012.

Qadir, who passed away in September 2019, has been widely credited with reviving the art of leg-spin bowling, and often left the opposition clueless after he made his debut in 1977.

Not only did he take 236 wickets in 67 Tests, he was also a highly-effective option in One-day Internationals where he bagged 132 wickets in 104 matches. Qadir, who retired in 1990, was a fighter to the core and an effective batter down the order.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2021