[4] Mushtaq made history when he became the first Pakistani to take a hat-trick at a Cricket World Cup, which he did against Zimbabwe during the 1999 tournament.

A right-arm off break bowler, Saqlain played 49 Test matches and 169 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for Pakistan between 1995 and 2004.

In September 1995, he got international recognition, taking seven wickets for the PCB Patron's Eleven against the visiting Sri Lankans.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram said of him that he was "the greatest off-spinner he has seen" and "as aggressive as a fast bowler, not afraid of getting hit, and has this total belief in himself.

His initial requirement was to cover for fellow Pakistanis Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who were part of Pakistan's World Cup campaign.

In 2010, after relocating to Leicestershire, he joined Syston Town Cricket Club, playing in the Everards County League.

[22] In late 2010, he was training in Taunton at the facilities of Somerset County Cricket Club, whom he has now joined as a temporary spin-bowling coach for the 2011 Caribbean Twenty20 competition.

[24] Saqlain made his Test debut in September 1995 against Sri Lanka at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar.

He took nine wickets for 80 runs, earning him the man-of-the-match award and ensuring Pakistan's clean sweep against the touring side.

[33] In the second Test of the series at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi, he once again took five-wicket hauls in both innings but could not prevent defeat.

[37][38] In Pakistan's tour to the West Indies in 2000 he was ineffective, taking only six wickets in five innings, which included five for 121 at Kensington Oval.

[44] Saqlain made his One Day International (ODI) debut in September 1995 against Sri Lanka at the Municipal Stadium, Gujranwala.

[46] His career-best bowling figures in this format are 5 wickets for 20 runs against England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in October 2000.

[50] On 29 October 2016, the ECB decided to use Saqlain's services to prepare England team for the test series against India.

[51] On 13 November 2016, it was announced that he would remain with the England team until the end of the third Test in Mohali, after agreeing an extension to his deal with the ECB.

[52] On 6 September 2021, he was appointed the interim head coach of Pakistan national cricket team by PCB after Misbah-ul-Haq's resignation from the post.

[5] Other bowlers like Shoaib Malik, Saeed Ajmal, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Johan Botha and Harbhajan Singh also used this delivery in international cricket.