Former spinner, Saqlain Mushtaq has revealed the story behind the name of his ‘doosra’ delivery, which has become a staple of spin bowling and has been mastered by several spinners.
The off-spin bowler credited former wicket-keeper batter, Moin Khan for the name, stating that he used to stand near the stump mic and give him instructions on how to bowl that delivery.
“Saqlain, whenever I ask you, then you have to bowl the doosra. Moin Khan would stand near the stump mic, and his voice would go directly into the commentary box,” Saqlain added.
The legendary spinner further explained that the name stuck after commentators heard the instructions of the wicket-keeper batter and began referring to the delivery as the ‘doosra.’
Saqlain, who is regarded as a magician with the ball, also revealed how he first came up with the idea for the doosra and how he started practicing it while playing with his brothers on the terrace.
The 46-year-old further added that he was inspired by the actions of great Imran Khan and Abdul Qadir, who used different grips and hand positions while practicing with a table tennis ball.
“One day, I noticed a very different turn in the ball. The delivery required a very different grip and a different hand position. From there, I got an idea of how I could spin the ball outside,” Saqlain said.
