By Oliver Brett

WAQAR YOUNIS FACTFILE Born: 16.11.71, Vehari, Punjab Test career: 87 matches, 373 wickets at 23.56. One-day career: 262 matches, 416 wickets at 23.84

Waqar Younis, who is set to retire from cricket, will rightly be regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers of the late 20th century.

The Pakistani's yorker was a vicious weapon, frequently cleaning up tail-enders and causing some ferocious damage to a few big toes on the way.

But his reverse swing was also a prime asset - he was particularly effective with an old ball against well-set batsmen on flat wickets.

In 1992, a hungry Waqar, still just 20 years old, arrived for a summer tour of England determined to make an impression.

A thrilling Test series was edged 2-1 by the tourists with a convincing victory in the final match at The Oval.

Waqar bowled with consistent excellence throughout the series but it was his batting at Lord's, when Pakistan were 95-8 chasing 138 to win, that initially caught the eye.

He and Wasim Akram turned that extraordinary match upside down by getting the runs required under extreme pressure.

Then, at The Oval, Waqar took 5-52 as England were bowled out for 174 in their second innings, Pakistan winning by 10 wickets.

Tim Munton, the former Warwickshire played the only two Tests of his career during that series.

"It was terrifying facing him," recalls Munton.

Waqar appeals during Pakistan's famous 1992 tour of England

"At that time he was the most destructive bowler in the world. He would either knock your head off or break your big toe.

"He always gave 120% whether it was in his early days for Surrey or playing for Pakistan at his peak."

Another adversary, Mark Ramprakash, says: "I really enjoyed playing against him and he was fantastic for the game.

"When he first came over to England, playing for Surrey in 1990, he would run in hard in from a really long run-up and do his own thing - delivering the ball with late swing at pace.

"He went for a few runs but he had a tremendous record of cleaning up the tail. He was unconventional but he put so much into it."

Waqar took heaps of Test wickets in the mid-1990s. He enjoyed particular success home and away against New Zealand, though rich pickings were also to be had against the likes of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

In the latter part of the decade, one-day internationals were his forte, when he was able to protect his back a little bit more while still firing the ball at the stumps with all his venom.

Controversy was never far away. In 2000, he was fined �1,200 following a match-fixing inquiry in Pakistan, but no specific allegations against him were proved.

Read more: Justice Qayyum's report in full

The same year he became the first player to receive a one-match ban for lifting the seam during a one-day international against South Africa.

But there was still enough guile in his armoury for him to warrant a place in the 2003 World Cup squad as Pakistan's captain.

It was one excursion too many for Waqar, however.

He bowled two beamers in the match against Australia, ended with just seven wickets in the tournament and presided over defeats to the Aussies, England and India.

He was sacked as captain and dropped from the team after that, but for many cricketers, including Ramprakash, the game will be poorer without him.