Taufeeq Umar

Taufeeq Umar (Punjabi: توفیق عمر, born 20 June 1981) is a Pakistani former cricketer who played for the Pakistan national cricket team between 2001 and 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Umar was a regular Test opening batsman for three seasons, before being dropped ahead of the 2004–05 season. On 23 May 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> recovering successfully in June 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

International career

Unusually for a Pakistani player, Umar has played more Tests than ODIs, as he was not given a prolonged run in the ODI side until 2003, when he played eight ODIs in a row. However, he only missed two of 24 Tests Pakistan played between August 2001 and April 2004, and after 17 Tests his batting average had reached 48.03 after he made four scores above 50 in the two-Test series with South Africa.<ref>Taufeeq Umar – Test Batting – Cumulative career averagesTemplate:Dead link from ESPNcricinfo Stats Guru, retrieved 14 December 2005</ref>

Possessing excellent temperament, he remains unique amongst Pakistani openers in his ability to concentrate for long periods and build innings. With exquisite drives either side of the wicket, a formidable cut and pull shot in the armoury and possessing the natural gift of timing, he seemed the very answer to Pakistan's opening problem especially against a full strength South African attack in South Africa (2003). A loss of form against India (2004) resulted in Taufeeq losing his place in the team.

He was recalled into the Pakistani side for the South Africa Series in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He made his comeback against South Africa with some good scores. Against West Indies, he scored a century and then a brilliant double hundred against Sri Lanka at UAE. He has again become a regular part of Test squad as an opener. he continued to play for Pakistan until Sri Lanka in 2012. After the series, he was dropped from the squad, until his later comeback for a single test match in 2014 against New Zealand. He scored only 16 and 4 in the two innings and was dropped from the squad.

Domestic career

He played for Pakistan A against a touring England XI in 2005–06,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and continued to play for Lahore Ravi and Habib Bank Limited in Pakistani domestic competitions.

In 2008 he was briefly banned from playing domestic cricket in Pakistan after he joined the rebel Indian Cricket League and represented the Lahore Badshahs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Taufeeq spent a summer in the UK playing Professional League cricket for Lancaster Cricket Club in the Northern League.

External links

• Template:ESPNcricinfo