Wasim Raja: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=AugustFebruary 20132024}}

| name = Wasim Raja<br>{{nastaliq|وسیم راجہ}}

| image = Cricket_no_pic.png

| birth_place = [[Multan]], [[West Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Dominion of Pakistan]]

| death_place = [[Marlow, Buckinghamshire]], England

| family = {{ubl|[[Rameez Raja (cricketer, born 1962)|Rameez Raja]] (brother), <br> |[[Zaeem Raja]] (brother),<br> |[[Saleem Akhtar]] (father)|[[Atif Rauf]] (cousin)}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/672206-cricketing-dynasties-the-twenty-two-families-of-pakistan-test-cricket-part-4 |title=Cricketing Dynasties: The Twenty Two Families of Pakistan Test Cricket – Part 4 &#124; Sports |work=The News International|location=Pakistan |date=14 June 2020 |accessdate=2022-09-04}}</ref>

| batting = Left -handed

| international = true

| column1 = [[Test cricket|TestsTest]]

| runs1 = 28212,821

| deliveries1 = 40824,082

| fivefor1 = –0

| tenfor1 = –0

| catches/stumpings1 = 20/-–

| column2 = [[One Day International|ODIsODI]]

| 100s/50s2 = -0/2

| deliveries2 = 10361,036

| fivefor2 = –0

| tenfor2 = n/a0

| catches/stumpings2 = 24/-–

(3 July 1952 – 23 August 2006) was a [[British Pakistani]] schoolteacher, cricket coach and [[cricket]]er who played in 57 [[Test cricket|Tests]] and 54 [[One Day International|ODI]]s for the [[Pakistani national cricket team]] from 1973 to 1985. His younger brother, [[RameezRamiz Raja]], also represented Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, becoming captain of the national side. Another brother, [[Zaeem Raja]], also played [[first-class cricket]], as did his father, [[Saleem Akhtar]].

He settled in London after marrying an Englishwoman, Ann. HeFrom 1989, Raja studied for a certificate[[Postgraduate Certificate in educationEducation|PGCE]] fromat [[Durham University]], andwhere he signed up for the cricket team.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holloway |first1=Adrian |title=Racecourse |url=https://iiif.durham.ac.uk/index.html?manifest=t2mxk81jk88v&canvas=t2t9s161m57j |access-date=6 December 2023 |work=[[Palatinate (newspaper)|Palatinate]] |issue=441 |date=9 November 1989 |page=23}}</ref> He had a spell teaching geography, mathematics and physical education at [[Caterham School]] in Surrey. He was also a coach for the Pakistan Under-19 team, and an [[International Cricket Council]] [[match referee]] in 15 Tests and 34 ODIs from 2002 to 2004.

He died of a heart attack in [[Marlow, Buckinghamshire]], England, in August 2006 while playing cricket for the Surrey over-50s side. He is survived by his wife and his sons, Ali and Ahmad.

During his playing career, Raja was known primarily as a dashing middle-order left-handed batsman, with a characteristically generous backlift and breathtaking stokeplaystrokeplay combining a keen eye with wristy execution. Raja also bowled flat [[wrist spin]] with his right hand that was good enough to take 51 wickets in Tests, with his scalps including [[Clive Lloyd]], [[Roy Fredericks]], [[Glenn Turner]] and [[Viv Richards]]. In all, he played in 250 first-class matches, scoring 11,434 runs at an average of 35.18, including 17 centuries, and taking 558 wickets at an average of 29.05.

His finest hour in Test cricket was the tour to the West Indies in 1976–77, when he topped the Pakistani [[batting average (cricket)|batting average]]s with 517 runs at 57.4 and came second in the [[bowling average]]s with 7 wickets at 18.7, behind [[Majid Khan (cricket player)|Majid Khan]]. He also scored 14 [[six (cricket)|sixes]] in the Test series, setting a record that has been equalled 4 times but still remains the only instance away from home.[http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2006/feb/02sixes.htm] He top-scored in both innings of the drawn [http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1976-77/PAK_IN_WI/PAK_WI_T1_18-23FEB1977.html 1st Test] in [[Barbados]], to push the West Indies to within one wicket of their first loss at [[Kensington Oval]] since 1935. In their second innings, Pakistan were reduced to 158–9 by [[Andy Roberts (cricketer)|Andy Roberts]] and [[Colin Croft]], a lead of only 144 just over half-wayhalfway through the fourth day, but a last-wicket stand of 133 with [[Wasim Bari]] set the West Indies a target of 306. At the close of the fifth day, West Indies were 55 runs adrift, on 251–9. West Indies won their next 12 matches at Bridgetown, until they were finally beaten by England in the [http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1993-94/ENG_IN_WI/ENG_WI_T4_08-13APR1994.html 4th Test] in 1994. He was a cricket teacher at [[Haslemere Preparatory School]] from 2004 to 2006. There is a memorial plaque there in his honour. He is also remembered in the north eastnortheast of England, playing for Durham CCC, before the county was awarded 1st first-class status.

==SeeExternal alsolinks==

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070313091428/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2006/08/24/db2401%2Fnews%2F2006%2F08%2F24%2Fdb2401.xml Obituary], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 24 August 2006

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[[Category:Pakistani emigrants to Englandthe United Kingdom]]

[[Category:BritishNaturalised schoolteacherscitizens of the United Kingdom]]