ISLAMABAD          -      Former Test cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq believes Pakistani batting legend Saeed Anwar was the maestro of playing off-spin bowling, saying no left-handed batsmen played off-spinners better than him.

“I played some matches against Anwar but have done many rounds with him in the nets. It was very difficult to beat him or take his wicket,” Saqlain said in a video on his YouTube Channel. “Anwar was very skillful and I think there was no other left-handed batsman who played off-spinner better than him,” said Saqlain, who was the Head of International Player Development at the PCB High Performance Centre.

The former spinner, who was credited with the invention of the ‘doosra’, said the second left-handed batsman, who played off-spin better, was the Indian cricketer and current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. “Ganguly also had an expertise against the off-spinners. He used to cut, inside-out, sweep against off-spinners. He would charge the bowler whenever he wanted. Dada was intelligent, brave and played good on the turning tracks,” he said.

Saqlain said West Indies batsman Brian Lara also played off-spinners very well. “I witnessed once when Lara was in command against the Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. Muralitharan couldn’t get his hands on him. Unfortunately, Lara and I didn’t get to play much. However, previously I used to take his early wickets in Tests and ODIs but after that we had very tough battles,” he said.