Born on 13th February 1981 in Gulbarga, Karnataka, former Test, ODI and T20 International cricketer, Nooshin Al Khadeer.
Initially more interested in basketball, Nooshin took up cricket at the age of 16 and immediately found herself playing for Karnataka Under16s. Five months later she is selected for the senior Karnataka team.
A month before her 21st birthday, Nooshin makes her ODI debut for India (cap 63). It was the beginning of an illustrious career. In her youth she was bowling medium pace, but by now her weapon of choice is the off-spin bowling. In 78 ODIs Nooshim took exactly 100 wickets at 24.02 with a best of 5-14. That 100th wicket, her last, was Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar.
Test honours (cap 62) beckoned in 2003/4 when India hosted New Zealand. Nooshin celebrated by taking 3-66, including the captain, Maia Lewis, from 33 overs. She backed up in the second innings taking 1-12 from 20 overs. That’s some economy! In her five Tests Nooshin took 14 wickets at 26.64 with a best of 3-14. That economy remained with only 1.80 runs per over through her career.
A final feather in her cap, specifically cap number one for India in the T20 format. She played just the two matches in this format for India but will always be number one.
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