New Delhi : The cricket fraternity has come in unison to pay tribute to former Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir, who recently passed away at the age of 63 following a cardiac arrest.From legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, all took to their social media handles to pay tribute to the late cricketer. Posting a picture of Qadir on his official Twitter handle, Tendulkar extended his heartfelt condolences to “one of the best spinners of his times”. “Remember playing against Abdul Qadir, one of the best spinners of his times. My heartfelt condolences to his family. RIP,” the master blaster tweeted.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raza, meanwhile, gave a glimpse of Qadir’s art of leg spin in One -Day Internationals (ODI) by sharing a video from a 1986 match against West Indies. “Just a glimpse into the art of the genius-Qadir destroying West Indies in 1986 with neutral umpires. You will see me mostly at short leg,” he wrote while sharing the video.Renowned Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle expressed shock on the sudden demise of maestro Qadir. “Shocked to hear that the maestro Abdul Qadir is no more. Such a personality. Had the opportunity of making friends with him when he was playing in Melbourne in the late 90s. Loved the stories he told. One of the greats,” he said. Describing Qadir as a “magician”, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram also expressed his grief on the former leg spinner’s death. “They called him the magician for many reasons but when he looked me in the eyes & told me I was going to play for Pakistan for the next 20 years, I believed him.A Magician, absolutely. A leg spinner & a trailb,” Akram wrote on his official Twitter handle.
