Azeem Hafeez Bowling vs New Zealand 3rd Test at Dunedin in 1985
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00:00Azeem Hafeez, the left-hand pisser with a remarkable story, brought grit and swing to
00:04Pakistan's test bowling attack during the 1980s. Despite being born with just two fingers on his
00:10right hand, he defied the odds and delivered with heart and hustle every time he wore the green cap,
00:16operating with a smooth run-up and natural in-swing. Hafeez was a relentless workhorse,
00:21often tasked with bowling long spells alongside the greats like Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz.
00:27Let's watch his bowling against New Zealand in the third test match at Napier in 1985.
00:57New Zealand's first wicket is done, John Wright is up for 32, caught Omar, bowled Hafeez.
01:06Hafeez coming around the wicket, left arm,
01:10whipping it away on the leg side, it was in the air, Omar out there taking a good catch,
01:16low down, made no mistake.
01:18Reid yet to score, facing Hafeez.
01:25A lovely stroke from John Reid, a flowing cover drive,
01:30and it'll be four runs, so Reid off the mark. Hafeez to Haworth.
01:35Oh, nicely played by Haworth, out towards backward point, and that's four runs.
01:43Jeff Haworth has his second boundary, moves to 11, and New Zealand are 54 for one.
01:49Haworth on the...
01:51Coney going for a quick single, as it's squeezed out to point, and there'll be overthrows,
02:02and in fact, nobody can prevent it going for, through to the boundary for four more,
02:07so that's a five to Coney.
02:09No ball.
02:11No ball by Hafeez, Martin Crow picked it up very quickly, and he sent it away to the mid-wicket boundary.
02:20Hafeez to Crow.
02:24Oh, that's a lovely cover drive, probably the shot of the day.
02:29Four more to Martin Crow, he's 29. Hafeez to Crow.
02:34That's dropped short, and it's on its way to the fence, four runs.
02:39Crow to 34, New Zealand.
02:41149 for four.
02:45And there's a...
02:47John Wright is out, he's caught at the slip,
02:51and that's New Zealand's first wicket, four runs.
02:56And here we see it had a lot of zip as well, across John Wright, just pushed forward, got the outside edge,
03:02and Mohsen Khan on first slip, straight to him, he took it with two hands, me and Dad.
03:11How's driving, it's a little uppish, but it's through Gully for four.
03:16He goes to 76.
03:19No ball called, and Hadley hits it for four.
03:21Five wickets in hand.
03:26And Hafeez to Hadley, and he fouled him! Richard Hadley is out!
03:33Gully, come on!
03:34Come on!
03:35And the Pakistani players, delighted!
03:41Richard Hadley, this was foolish, he went for the shot, I think he got a little bit of pad,
03:45he may have got a little bit of back, but it sneaked through and hit the middle stump, middle and...
03:49...in their chase for those runs, Pakistan made the breakthrough, the new batsman is Ian Smith.
03:54New Zealand wicket keeper, has a test century to his credit.
03:58He's feeling the tension, that's obvious.
04:00Azeem Hafeez made his presence felt especially unhelpful track,
04:28troubling top outer batsman with movement and bounce.
04:31His standout performance came during the tours of Australia and against Sri Lanka,
04:36where he picked up five wicket hauls with sheer discipline and determination.
04:40Though his international career was relatively short-lived, Azeem Hafeez's journey remains a
04:45testament to resilience and passion in Pakistan cricket's fast-balling legacy.
04:50Azeem Hafeez, a left-arm fast-median baller, represented Pakistan
04:54in 18 test matches between 1983 and 1985. During his test career, he delivered a total of 4,351
05:02balls, claiming 63 wickets at an average of 34.98. His best bowling figure in an innings were 6-for-46,
05:10and he achieved four five wicket hauls. Despite being born with only two fingers on his right hand,
05:16Azeem Hafeez's determination and skill allowed him to make a significant impact in international
05:21cricket. His contributions were particularly notable during the tour of New Zealand,
05:25where he showcased his ability to swing the ball effectively.
05:29I'm sure you would have been appreciated Azeem Hafeez's greatest spell of 1-for-65 and 2-for-84
05:35in the third test against New Zealand at Dunedin in 1985. A true display of preservance and control
05:41in testing conditions. It was a gripping test match and a nerve-wracking contest from start to finish,
05:46with New Zealand eventually edging out Pakistan in a thrilling finish.