Saqlain Mushtaq: Inventor of the Doosra

The Man Who Changed Off-Spin Forever

Saqlain Mushtaq played 49 Tests for Pakistan between 1995 and 2004, taking 208 wickets at an average of 29.83. In ODIs he was even more dominant, taking 288 wickets in 169 matches at 21.78. But his lasting contribution to cricket went beyond statistics. Saqlain invented the doosra — an off-spinner's delivery that turns from leg to off (the opposite direction of the standard off-break) — the most significant new delivery in cricket since the googly was developed a century earlier.

What Is the Doosra?

The doosra ('the other one' in Urdu/Hindi) is an off-spinner's ball that, instead of turning from off to leg as a standard off-break does, turns from leg to off. Saqlain developed it in the mid-1990s and began using it in international cricket around 1996. The delivery was initially almost unplayable because batsmen had no reference point — off-spinners were not supposed to turn the ball that way. It required a wrist action that many biomechanical authorities later argued involved bending the elbow beyond legal limits.

Legacy and Influence

The doosra Saqlain invented transformed off-spin bowling globally. Muttiah Muralitharan refined it and used it to devastating effect; Harbhajan Singh developed his version; Danish Kaneria attempted it. The delivery fundamentally changed the way batsmen played off-spin — a straight bat was no longer safe against a good off-spinner because the ball might turn either way. After retiring from playing Saqlain became a respected bowling coach, working with England and several county sides.