Shoaib Mohammad

Shoaib Mohammad kept his family's tradition of being run machines intact although not always with the flair that was associated with most of his family men. Strong square of the wicket on both sides, Shoaib had an unflappable temperament which was his biggest strength and brought him loads of success in the longest format of the game. His barren repertoire of strokes did affect him in ODIs though he did score a frenetic away ton in New Zealand in 1989. Barely a couple of weeks from this innings, Shoaib produced another fine innings in Sharjah against Sri Lanka, which again came at a fast clip. These knocks apart, Shoaib generally struggled to get going in the shorter format and ended with underwhelming numbers. But in Tests, where mental toughness was more in demand, Shoaib was at ease, bossing quality bowlers with his monk-like patience. He could also bowl a bit, utility finger spin that wasn't threatening, but did produce some moments of magic.

Among Shoaib's centuries, five of them came against New Zealand, showing his affection for the Kiwi bowlers, irrespective of whether it was home or away. The other team against whom the centuries came, was India - a typical feat that a Pakistani batsman relished and vice-versa. It wasn't to say that he struggled in other countries, as is evident from his fifties in England and West Indies but the big knocks deserted him a bit on those shores. Nevertheless, he was a pivotal figure in Pakistan's batting line-up, mostly soldiering along as the opener or in the top four, adapting well according to the situation. Shoaib was energetic in field and could be placed anywhere in the ground. After his playing days, Shoaib continued to involve himself in the development of the game as a talent scout for the PCB. He even spent a considerable amount of time as a fielding coach for the national team.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan