For someone who notched up an eight-wicket haul in a Test innings, Sikandar Bakth's career was mostly under the limelight of his more famous peers. A fast bowler with remarkable skill levels, he had a lethal outswinger in his armoury and could generate pace on the most docile of surfaces. The eight-wicket haul itself was conjured on an absolute road of a pitch at the Kotla in Delhi as he ripped through a strong
Indian batting line-up to bowl Pakistan to a famous victory. His ability to crank up pace at will was a priceless quality to have and Mike Brearley bore the brunt of it once, getting smacked on the forearm despite playing on a relatively placid Karachi surface. Bakth's career wasn't long but enjoyed success in the period that he was associated with the Pakistan side. He was a giant in the domestic circuit with over 650 scalps across formats. After retirement, he was into administration and got into the Pakistan support staff for the 2003 World Cup. Later on, he dived into the media industry and has been a prominent cricket expert ever since.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan