11 Compelling facts about Yasir Arafat: A genuine Pakistan all-rounder

Those who know Yasir Arafat well will say that his cricketing career was cut-short in perhaps the most disappointing of manners.  An effective player with both bat and ball, Arafat seemingly had it all. However, his low stamina and aggressive nature made him a perfect fit for the limited overs format. Therefore, Yasir Arafat will always be remembered as the ‘player who got away’ from the cusp of Australian cricket. Here are a few facts about Yasir Arafat on his 34^th birthday.

1. Birth:

Yasir Arafat Satti was born on the 12^th of March 1982 at Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.

2. Nickname:

Yasir Arafat is also known as Yas by his teammates and close friends.

3. A genuine Pakistani all-rounder:

Apart from Abdul Razzaq and perhaps Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat is the only other genuine all-rounder to be produced by Pakistan in the 21^st century. His immediate impact on domestic cricket saw him become a part of the Pakistan cricket team at the age of 18.

4. Five wickets in six balls:

At the age of 22, word of Arafat’s amazing performances found its way to the Rawalpindi domestic management. He became a regular in the side, playing each time he was released from international duty. In 2004, Arafat performed the extremely rare feat of taking five wickets in six balls for Rawalpindi against the national champions Faisalabad in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. This had only been achieved three times previously in the entire history of first-class cricket, by Bill Copson in 1937, William Henderson in 1938, and Pat Pocock in 1972.

5. Five-wicket haul on international debut:

After 7 long years of playing for Pakistan in ODI cricket, Arafat finally got a call-up to the Test team in 2007. His first assignment was the grueling tour of India. He made his Test match debut for Pakistan against India in the 3^rd Test match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. Despite a drawn match, Arafat became only the 8^th player in Pakistan history to pick up a five-wicket haul on debut.

6. Debuts against subcontinent nations:

Although inconsequential, Arafat has a unique distinction of making debuts. All his debuts, across all formats, have come against teams from the subcontinent. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka, Test debut against India and T20I debut against Bangladesh.

7. A prematurely early retirement:

His international career came to a halt a few months prior to his 30^th birthday, making him one of the earliest to announce retirement in Pakistan cricket.

8. Stint in English county cricket:

Yasir Arafat has been a familiar face in England county cricket for over a decade. He first played for Sussex in the 2006 season before making the switch to Kent the following year. He returned to Sussex in 2009 and proved to be an integral part of a strong Sussex side. Somerset, Surrey and Lancashire are among the other county sides he has played for.

9. Effectiveness in T20 cricket:

Yasir Arafat is an all-rounder of typically Pakistani ethos: ideal for the attacking mood of the limited-overs formats. He could generate pace and swing and was always liable to turn a game even as his career entered the veteran stage. He was also a dangerous lower-order plunderer, good enough to strike five first-class hundreds as well as one in List A cricket.

10. Masters Champions League:

He played for the Sagittarius strikers in the MCL, making him one of the youngest players to feature in the tournament.

11. A plethora of teams played for:

Yasir Arafat has played in domestic tournaments in over six countries. A few teams he has played for include Scotland, Barisal Burners, Canterbury, Dolphins, Kent, Khan Research Labs, Lancashire, Otago, Pakistan Reserves, Perth Scorchers, Rawalpindi, Redco Pakistan Ltd, Somerset, Surrey, and Sussex. Sussex, Surrey, Lancashire, Somerset and Hampshire also came calling when they needed some bowling enterprise in one-day cricket. Perth Scorchers also came calling in 2013.