Name: Umar Gul

Birth date: 1984-04-14

Hometown: Peshawar

Teams: Pakistan, Gloucestershire, Kolkata Knight Riders, Pakistan A, Pakistan International Airlines

Debut: 3rd April 2003

ODI Best: 33 | 5-17

Test Best: 46 | 6-135

Umar Gul is a right arm fast medium bowler for Pakistan. He has 16 test match caps, and has played 54 ODI matches and was also an integral part of the team as the leading wicket taker which fired Pakistan to the T20 WC final in 2007 (13 wickets in 7 matches). Gul made his debut by taking four wickets in April 2003 in the Cherry Blossom Sharjan Cup against Zimbabwe, Kenya and Sri Lanka.

Gul carried on representing Paksitan in tests against Bangledesh and New Zealand. However, he saved his greatest spark of brilliance yet for the Lahore test match against India in the 2003-2004 season. Gul moved the ball sharply both ways and ended up with innings figures of 5 for 31 (including scalps of Shewag, Dravid and Tendulkar). Unfortunately, due to a back injury Gul was out of action for over a year. He since returned to the side and has proved to be a key feature in the line up by taking wickets in all 3 forms of the game against top cricket playing nations.

At this moment in time its fair to say that Umar Gul is Pakistan's premier bowler in the shorter format of the game, bowling with considerable hostility and accuracy. His inswinging yorker is a sight to behold. He has particularly impressed in the final overs of limitted overs cricket, with his ability to reverse swing the ball as well as bowl accurate tight spells at the batsmen's toes. In the test match arena he does however have his critics. Although there is always a special delivery around the corner when Gul is bowling, often in test matches he will struggle to work out batsmen and will bowl too short.

In the current malaise afflicting Pakistani Fast bowling attack, Umer Gul to many Pakistanis represents the future of our Fast bowling attack. Whether he can stay injury free and further improve on his bowling skills is largely upto him. If all goes well,Pakistan should have a steady performer in their ranks for some time to come