Umar Gul

Lean and wiry, Umar Gul is yet another exceptional fast bowling talent to have emerged out of Pakistan in recent times. Unlike Asif and Akhtar who had their careers ruined by controversies, Gul has always maintained a clean profile and has shied away from any such mischief. It may come as a surprise to many that he has managed to last so long in such a fractious team set-up without ever getting noticed, but that trait has so far proved very productive for Gul.

Hailing from the North-Western Frontier Province in Peshawar, Gul is of the Pashto tribe. He made his name by playing tape ball cricket at an early age and signalled his arrival on the big stage by demolishing a strong Indian batting line-up in a test at Lahore during the historic 2003-04 series. That performance unveiled a new talent to the world, but his career was immediately put on hold as he had to undergo surgery for three stress fractures in the back which kept him out of cricket for nearly two years.

An impeccable line and length bowler, Gul's accuracy and his ability to hit the seam are his strengths. When the ball gets older, he is deadly and there is no better bowler in the world at the death than Gul. His assortment of slower deliveries, mixed with toe crushing yorkers have destroyed oppositions most notably in the shortest version of the game where he has enjoyed tremendous success.

After making a comeback to the Pakistan side in 2006, he established himself as the spearhead of the attack. With Asif, Aamer and Akhtar bowing out of the team in one way or the other, Gul was thrust the mantle of leading the attack. His best performances came in the T20 World Cup in England when he annihilated New Zealand with a spell of 5/6; the best ever T20 bowling performance of all time. He helped Pakistan secure a finals spot in the tournament and eventually in winning it in 2008.

Gul played for the Kolkata Knight Riders during the opening edition of the IPL and has represented the Western Australia Warriors in the Big Bash. He also has played for the Sussex Sharks in the Friends Provident T20 competition. In 2012, Gul became a part of the the opening edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League for Uva Next aiding them to win the T20 League.

Gul also established himself as a handy batsman down the order for his ability to score quick runs. In a Test match against England in 2010, Gul came in to bat at no.8 when Pakistan were 103/7. He helped them avoid the follow-on and stayed on till the end scoring 65 not out. Fitness issues forced Gul out of the team frequently after that. Gul had a decent series against Sri Lanka in December 2013 picking up 9 wickets in 4 games. His 2014 Asia Cup campaign was not too impressive either. He had a good T20 WC in Bangladesh, where he scalped 6 wickets in 4 games but this effort went in vain as Pakistan did not go through to the semi-finals.

With the rise of new young pacers and battling frequent injuries, Gul has found it difficult to maintain his usual place in the squad in recent times. Yet one cannot deny that Gul possesses the ability to confound the batsmen with his outswingers and unplayable yorkers.

by Cricbuzz staff\
As of April 2014