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Wasim Raja, an attacking left-handed batsman and leg-spin bowler who
turned the ball a long way, was the only batsman capable of standing up
to Derek Underwood on the rain-soaked wicket at Lord's in 1974, when he
scored 53. Raja, whose father played for Sargodha and was followed into
the Pakistan side by his brother Rameez, was the boldest if not the most
talented of the Pakistan batsmen in the 1970s. He made his debut
against New Zealand in Wellington in 1972-3, scoring 49 and taking 3-32
in the Third Test in Auckland. In future Tests his bowling was often
underused. After his heroics against Underwood he went on to make 107
not out against West Indies in Karachi in 1974-75.
In the Caribbean in
1976-77 he made 117 not out and 71 in Barbados, the opposition including
Roberts, Croft and Garner. He followed with 65 and 84 in Trinidad, 70
and 3-22 in another Test on the same ground and 64 and 3-65 in Jamaica.
When Pakistan went to India in 1979-80 he scored 97 and 61 in New Delhi,
94 not out at Kanpur and two other half centuries. In 1983-84 he made
125 and took 4-50 against India at Jullundur and scored 112 against
England in Faisalabad later the same season. In the World Cup of 1975
Raja made 58 against West Indies at Edgbaston and bowled seven overs to
take 1-7 against Sri Lanka. In the 1979 and 1983 competitions he was a
semi-finalist.
He played Minor County cricket for both Durham and
Northumberland. A third brother, Zaeem, played first class cricket in
Pakistan. (Bob Harragan)
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Wasim Raja pictured in June 1975. Photo George Herringshaw.