Mehboob Alam is already a golden record book of Nepali cricket; and the 29-year-old allrounder from Rajbiraj put yet another feather on his cap Wednesday by becoming the first Nepali bowler to claim 100 international one-day wickets.
Mehboob Alam bowls against Argentina. Photo by International Cricket Council
On Wednesday at Navile, Italy, when Argentine batsman Grant Dugmore edged Alam to Mahesh Chhetri, little did he know that he was a milestone wicket for the left-arm bowler. Mehboob went on to pick another wicket in his 63rd international match to take his total wicket tally to 101.
“I will consider myself very fortunate if I became the first bowler to take 100 wickets in one-dayers for Nepal,” Mehboob, who only wanted two more wickets to reach the milestone, had said before leaving for Italy. “When I began my international cricket, I never thought I would ever reach near this milestone. But after playing Emerging Nations’ Tournaments in 2003, my wickets count went high and then I thought it could be possible.”
He had 18 wickets from 12 matches before the Emerging Nations Tournaments, but he took 15 wickets in five matches, including 8/23 against Maldives, that boosted his morale.
The turning point of his bowling career came in 2008 in Jersey when he took all 10 wickets in a match against Mozambique — an extraordinary performance that had never happened in ICC sanctioned one-day cricket match before.
Roy Dias, Nepal’s coach for a decade, considered Mehboob’s performance as a big achievement. “This is big achievement for Nepal,” he said.
Mehboob Alam. Photo by International Cricket Council.
And, Mehboob also leads the table for highest number of wides bowled by Nepali bowler — 112 which is much higher than 59 by Binod Das.
To add to these records, he also has top three bowling performances in a match for his country and besides, he is a hard-hitting batsman who has scored 904 runs with an average of 21. His career hit of boundaries is 119, out of which 18 are sixes.
“Batting is a plus-point to my cricket,” he says. “If I had not been a batsman, I would have been out of the team long ago.” Mehboob modeled himself on former Pakistani great Wasim Akram and is a crowd favorite in Nepal. Such is a support to him by home crowd that the curator of TU Cricket Ground — the main cricket ground of the nation named an end on him.
Cricket.com.np Facebook & Twitter
For latest updates and information about cricket in Nepal,
visit out Facebook page (and Like it) and Twitter (and Follow it).
Related news:
outttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt hurreeeee 1 wicket for nepal
wicket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need min 2 3 wtks in 5 over then it would be pressure on USA
wikts for nep
Come On guys WTKs
I couldnot believe why mehabob alam is not on the team nepal today. guys what`s going on we need him for bowling and batting both.
we need two more wicket of captain steve massiah and baker then the way will be very easy fro us.;
we need c.wright `s wikt
wright gone hurry!
cush is also a good batsman we need him out fast..
Fabled Fantabulous Mehboob’s Voyage in Nepali Cricket
In a contemporary Nepali cricket, I would rate ex-skipper Binod Das and Mehboob Alam as the finest all rounders Nepal has ever produced. Their sheer commitment, resilience and never-say-never-die attitude have stood them in stood stead. On Mehboob’s completion of 100 International wickets truly deserves tremendous accolades and praises for his achievement. He is an icon cricketer in Nepal and other upcoming cricketers could draw inspiration from him. As in our country, the media is not as extensive as India has his achievements seldom get the attention and media coverage it deserves. I first saw this bloke playing in a local tournament at Tundi Khel Kathmandu. He was in his element on that particular day pulverising the opponent’s bowlers to every part of the ground with flurry of boundaries and towering sixes. In fact, one of the murderous looking pull-shots zipped past-by at mid-wicket region boundary from where I was watching this game along with my colleagues. I thanked God and the ball did not hit me. Whilst bowling he was sending shivers down the batsmen’s spine with his fiery pace and and razor-prone inswing yorkers. Assessing his performance, I thought here is a bloke who could be a great asset to the national side with his excellent bowling and devastating batting performances. At that time, he was already in the national side and after a couple of weeks later I saw him playing in EMERGING NATIONS CUP 2003. This time I was not a spectator but one of the commentators of the game. I had the opportunity to witness his spectacular bowling performance of 8/23 against Maldives. It was a treat to watch him bowling with tremendous venom and the hapless Maldivian batters had no answer to his ripping deliveries. Apart from this, his perfect 10 wickets against Namibia in ICC WCL was a perfect reward to his perseverance efforts whereby becoming only the 3rd person in the history annals of claiming 10 wickets in any match recognised by ICC. It is a matter of great honour and prestige to be named along with Jim Laker and Anil Kumble as a taker of 10 wickets in an innings. That was a tremendous effort and every Nepali cricket lover should be proud of what our countryman has achieved despite the fact that there are not much motivating factors; especially financial benefits are there for the players. No doubt, it is his sheer love and passion for the game of cricket and he will certainly go down as one of the pioneers responsible for letting know the world about our country through the game of cricket. May your type of folks breed in great numbers…..
I would like to see Mehboob plays a pivotal role in team’s mission of currently ongoing tournament and see team’s success which would make his achievement a double happy moment for us all.
congrates Mehboob you have make us every neplese cricket lover proud
and we are thank ful for this……………………..
make such records rapidly we are wising again and again……………………
love and cu being international player playing in world cup 2015………………..