One-day cricket's first hat-trick

Ijaz Ahmed took a fancy to Australian bowlers © Getty Images Enlarge

1982
The first hat-trick in a one-day international. In Hyderabad in 1982-83, Jalal-ud-din removed Rod Marsh, Bruce Yardley and Geoff Lawson with the last three balls of his seventh over. Pakistan dismissed Australia for 170 to win by 59 runs. A right-arm seamer from Karachi, Jalal-ud-din played only 13 other one-dayers and two Tests.

1968
Birth of that gifted and prolific batsman Ijaz Ahmed senior, whose 12 Test centuries were spread over 11 seasons. His highest score of 211 was made against Sri Lanka in Dhaka in 1998-99, when his unbroken partnership of 352 with Inzamam-ul-Haq set up an innings win that gave Pakistan the inaugural Asian Test Championship. In the same season, Ijaz averaged 140.00 in the Test series against Australia, which was completely in character. It's a sign of his value that six of his hundreds were scored against the Australians, including three away from home, the last of them in Perth in 1999-2000. He also hit 141 against England at Headingley in 1996 and 151 against West Indies in Karachi in 1997-98.

1963
Birth of the first Hindu to play Test cricket for Pakistan. Anil Dalpat was one of several wicketkeepers given a chance after the retirement of Wasim Bari. On his debut, against England in Karachi in 1983-84, Dalpat kept well to the spin of Abdul Qadir as Pakistan won by three wickets. In his nine Tests he made 25 dismissals and a highest score of 52 against New Zealand in Karachi in 1984-85. Dalpat is the first cousin of Danish Kaneria, who made his Test debut for Pakistan in the 2000-01 series against England.

1951
Birth of New Zealand slow left-armer Stephen Boock (pronounced Bock), whose first Test was also the first in which New Zealand beat England, at the 48th attempt. That win, in Wellington in 1977-78, was achieved on a seamer's pitch, but even then Boock's figures were typically economical: 1 for 21 in 10 overs. Later in the series he took 5 for 67 in Auckland. When England scored 429 at Trent Bridge the following summer, Boock turned in eye-catching figures of 2 for 29 in 28 overs, 18 of which were maidens. Among his 74 Test wickets were best figures of 7 for 87 against Pakistan in Hyderabad in 1984-85.

1988
The use of three spinners paid off for Pakistan in the opening Test against Australia in Karachi. Abdul Qadir, Iqbal Qasim and Tauseef Ahmed bowled Australia out for 116 to go with their 165 in the first innings. The three slow bowlers took 17 wickets between them to win the match by an innings and 188 runs. Draws in the next two Tests gave Pakistan the series 1-0.

1861
One of the least successful Test batsmen of all time was born. There isn't much doubt that Walter Giffen was only picked for Australia's tour of England in 1893 because his famous brother George twisted a few arms. That wasn't the part of Walter's body the Australian selectors had in mind after a Test career that yielded scores of 2, 0, 1, 3, 3 and 2. Poor Walter might have done better if he hadn't lost the tops of two fingers in 1886. He died in 1949.

1998
In a Sahara Cup one-dayer in Toronto, Mohammad Azharuddin hit 101 in 111 balls - but Aamer Sohail was Man of the Match for his 97, which made sure Pakistan won the game by five wickets and the series 4-1. Appropriate revenge for Pakistan, who had lost the same fixture exactly a year earlier.

Other birthdays
1921 Pananmal Punjabi (India)
1944 Ramesh Saxena (India)
1954 John Valentine (Canada)
1972 Rudi van Vuuren (Namibia)
1973 Naveed Nawaz (Sri Lanka)