Famous Birthdays·November 16·Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis

PKWaqar Younis

A Pakistani fast bowler whose devastating in-swinging yorkers terrorized batters and redefined the art of reverse swing.

Born 1971 (age 55)·Pakistani cricketer·Birthday: November 16·Generation X

Photo: Toorumer · CC BY-SA 4.0

Biography

Waqar Younis didn't just bowl fast; he delivered spells of pure, destructive physics. Emerging in the late 1980s, he formed, alongside Wasim Akram, one of the most feared pace partnerships in cricket history. His signature was the toe-crushing yorker, a ball that swung late and at high speed to smash into the base of the stumps or the batsman's feet. Waqar mastered the dark art of reverse swing, making the old ball dart and duck in ways that seemed to defy logic. His career was a highlight reel of uprooted stumps and shattered toes, peaking when he led Pakistan's bowling attack to the final of the 1999 World Cup. While his tenure as captain and later as coach had mixed results, his playing legacy is untouchable: a pure, aggressive fast bowler who brought spectacle and intimidation to the game's most demanding craft.

Generation X

1965–1980

The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.

Waqar was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.

#1 When Waqar Was Born

The biggest hits of 1971

#1 Movie

Fiddler on the Roof

Best Picture

The French Connection

#1 TV Show

Marcus Welby, M.D.

Waqar's Life & Times

The world at every milestone

1971Born

Voting age lowered to 18 in the US

Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school

Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial

Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager

Apple Macintosh introduced

Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive

Black Monday stock market crash

Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote

Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests

Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21

LA riots after Rodney King verdict

Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30

September 11 attacks transform the world

Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40

Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East

Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50

January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally

Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump

Key Achievements

  • Took 373 wickets in 87 Test matches, placing him among Pakistan's all-time leading wicket-takers.
  • Was a central figure in Pakistan's squad that finished as runners-up in the 1999 Cricket World Cup.
  • Served as the head coach of the Pakistan national cricket team, guiding its bowling development.

Did You Know?

He made his Test debut against India in 1989, taking 4 wickets in the first innings.

Waqar held the record for the fastest to 400 wickets in One Day Internationals for many years.

He is often nicknamed 'Burewala Express' after his hometown of Burewala in Punjab.

“The art of reverse swing is like a magician’s trick. Once you know how it’s done, the mystery is gone, but doing it under pressure is what counts.”

— Waqar Younis

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