Legendary leg-spinner Abdul Qadir laid to rest in Lahore

LAHORE (92 News) – Legendary leg-spinner Abdul Qadir was laid to rest in Mian Mir Graveyard, Lahore on Saturday. Thousands of people from different walks of life participated in the funeral. Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and other political leaders expressed grief and sorrow on the sad demise of the legendary cricketer. On Friday, Abdul Qadir had died of cardiac arrest in Services Hospital Lahore. He was born in September 15, 1955 in Lahore. He played his first Test against England on December 14, 1977 and first one day against West Indies in 1983. He took 236 wickets in 67 Tests and 132 wickets in 104 one-day international. Moreover, he took 960 wickets in first class matches. He also served as the chief selector of the national cricket team. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa had expressed heartfelt grief on the sad demise of cricket legend Abdul Qadir. “Pakistan has lost a great sportsman and a human being. May Allah bless his soul and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Aamen,” he said. Prime Minister Imran Khan also expressed grief and sorrow over the sad demise of legendary cricketer Abdul Qadir. “Pakistan has been deprived of a great cricketer. His death has deprived me of a friend. I am profoundly grieved over his death,” he said. The PCB wrote on Twitter: “PCB is shocked at the news of ‘maestro’ Abdul Qadir’s passing and has offered its deepest condolences to his family and friends.” Qadir was an influential figure in Pakistan’s most successful teams in the 1980s and later a mentor to the next generation of leg-spinners, including Australia’s Shane Warne and Pakistan’s Mushtaq Ahmed. After retiring from the sport, he served as the chief selector for Pakistan. “They called him the magician for many reasons but when he looked me in the eyes & told me I was going to play for Pakistan for the next 20 years, I believed him,” former Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram wrote on Twitter. “A Magician, absolutely. A leg spinner & a trailblazer of his time.”