Cricket Classics: Was this Waqar’s best spell in ODI cricket?
Auckland, 1994. Ken Rutherford must have been a satisfied man when New Zealand restricted Pakistan to a mere 161 from their 50 overs in the fourth game of a five-match series. The tourists had won the previous three matches comfortably and it was time for the Kiwis under Rutherford to salvage something out of a lost series.
But when New Zealand started their chase, they could have hardly imagined the ensuing drama. Waqar Younis was at his fastest and his mile long run up in perfect rhythm. Looking back at Waqar's approach, it is no surprise that Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt wanted to be like the Pakistani fast bowler when he was young.
Waqar's performance in Auckland that day would have made him a household name in any country. He picked up 6/30, the super yorker to Brian Young being the most memorable dismissal, as the match ended in a tie after New Zealand were bowled out for 161.