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Abdul Hafeez Kardar
Kardar
was certainly the most influential figure in Pakistan
cricket, first as captain and later as president of
the cricket control board and in the intentional cricket
body's various councils, for more then two decades.
He was the natural choice for the new country's first
Test side's captain as he had already toured England
as an All-India player in 1946 and then learnt and polished
his cricket at Oxford University and the county of Warwickshire
before returning to his country following its independence.
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He
was a suave, dignified gentleman who on to become Pakistan's
most astute, determined and orthodox captains, bringing the
best out of a bunch of players of whom only four or five were
of real intentional class. He led the national side in its first
23 Tests and helped them to wins against all opponents in the
inaugural series against them. Himself a very determined left-handed
batsman and a very economical and reasonably effective slow
left-arms spinner, Kardar was good enough to score 847 runs
in Test matches for Pakistan and take 21 wickets. He never relaxed
in the field and the players under high command were always
kept toes. He also played a major role in the country’s politics,
serving as a minister and an ambassador.
Bholu
Decorated as Rustami-i-Pakistan, (the great wrestler
of Pakistan) in 1949, Bholu Pehelwaan of Lahore was the last
big name in the tradition of subcontinental style of wrestling.
Bholu's real name was Manzur Ahmad and he belonged to the family
of celebrated wrestlers of Lahore. He was son of Rustam-i-Hind
Imam Baksh and nephew of Rustam-i-Zaman Gama Pehelwaan. Bholu
Pehelwaan won the title of Rustam-i-Pakistan by defeating Yunas
Pehelwaan in a controversial fight and never again fought a
abot but retained the title until his death. Other four brothers
of Bholu Pehelwaan also made a name in traditional wrestling.
Allegation of cheating and manipulating their victory in wrestling
contests haunted the Bholu family, which finally faded from
the scene after an ignominious defeat of Jhara, a young member
of this family, at the hands of Anoki in the late 1970s.
Hanif
Mohammad
Known
as the 'Little Master', Hanif Mohammad was the greatest
of a long line of Mohammad brothers who went on to represent
Pakistan.
Hanif was the first member of the Muhammad cricketing
dynasty who made it big in the sporting world. He was
a batsman, small and compact, with nearly all the shots
in the book in the use of which a rigid discipline was
applied. |
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When Pakistan entered the international cricket arena, Hanif
was a mere 17, with a boyish face and curly hair that endeared
him to all. Almost immediatly after he made his debut in Test
cricket, it became clear that the Junagadh born youngster was
destined to become a star. He was not only a national hero but
went on to become a legend. His stonewalling 337 in a batting
time of 970 minutes, against the West Indiens at Bridgetown
in 1957-58, still remains the only Test triple hundered made
by a Pakistani player. His 499 for Karachi the following year
stood as the biggesr score in all first-class cricket before
Brian Lara crossed the 500-run barrier almost four decades later.
For a number of years, his 55 Tests and 3,915 runs remained
a record for Pakistan because Hanif was the mainstay of the
country's rather weak betting line-up. Three of his four brothers
also played Tests for Pakistan, as did his son also.
Hashim Khan
This
"small big man" laid the foundation of what the squash
world now know as the Khans empire. The day in the winter
of 1951 when he boarded a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft
to Lndon (his journey was made possible through donation
from PAF officers), alsomarked the beginning of a golden
era of Pakistan squash. |
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He
was an instant success, winning the British Professional Championship,
Scottish Open and finally the prestigious as the world Championshep
of squash. In the final he defeated Egyptian great Mahmood Al
Karim so convincingly by the end of it, the defending champion
could not help muttering to himself "too fast, too fast". Hashim's
is an astonishing success story. He won his first British Open
at a ripe old age of 35 (Jahangir Khan retired at 32, Jansher
is in the twilight of his career at 31). Hashim defended the
coveted crown in 52, 53, 54, 55, 56. He was beaten in the final
by Roshan Khan in 57 but bounced back to take his seventh title
the following years at the age of 42. He was head and shouldres
above his rivels, winning ll major events in British, USA and
Canada during the fifties. Hashim gave a new dimension to squash
and pioneered professionalism in the sport.
Imran Khan
The
achievements of Imran Khan, fast bowler, dependable
batsman, peerless leader of men, stand alone. Strong
of character, pound of his ancestry, determined to pull
the rag-a-tag Pakistan team from their diffident attitude,
Imran Khan changed the face of Pakistan cricket. |
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He
stood up to the tyranny of cricket officials, unashamedly backed
the immense talent of his players, scathingly dismissed the
authoritative and second hand treatment meted out by other cricket
boards and the ICC and fashioned a new look Pakistan team in
1982. That team eventually became so battle hardened that Imran
could lead them into the World Cup final in 1992 and win it.
It was the pinnacle Pakistan cricket had been striving for and
it was Imran, the leader and Imran the determined cricketer
who made it possible. From a lanky, wayward 17 years old in
1971 he improved to become yhe first Pakistan bowler to go past
the 30 wicket mark eventually finishing up with 364 Test wickets
and scoring 3000 odd Test runs. The nation will remember him
for epic Test victories in Lord's (1982) 3-0 wins in series
against Australia and India at home, Headingley (1987) Guyana
(1988) and the World Cup 1992. Although the mantle of captaincy
often overshadowed his genuine achievements on the cricket field,
the true cricket fan still speaks with admiration of his dependable
batting and the several viciously accurate bowling spells which,
apart from winning matches, sparked the boom for the future
growth of fast bowlers.
Jahangir
Khan
Arguably
the most successful squash player off all time, Jahangir
Khan's success at the world circuit was phenomenal.
His is a fairy tale story. As a child, Jahangir was
so weak that his father Roshan thought he could never
play squash.
Later,
as a teenager when Jahangir was struggling as a junior
plater, his elder brother TorsamKhan died of a stroke
during a match in Australia. |
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That tragedy turned out to be the turning point in Jahangir's
life. It was Torsam's most cherished dream that his younger
sibling should succeed where he had failed -- become the world
champion. Jahangir devoted his life to achieving that goal.
Within a few seasons after Torsam's death as the best player
in thr world. He went on to win the British Open for a record
ten times (surpassing Hashim and Geoff Hunt's records). He won
six World Open titles and all the other major events of the
World Tour in the eighties and early nineties. However, jahangir's
most unique record was his five-and-a-half year unbeaten run
when he won over 500 matches at a strech. He could have a achieved
even more had a nagging back injury not forced him to retire
in 1993. But by that time, he had done enough to get his name
installed in the record books amd the hearts of millions of
squash fans all over the world.
Mohammad Yousuf
| For
years snooker was played in Pakistan as a minor sport,
limited to a few clubs that were scattered in the major
cities of the country. but a 42-years-old, balding man
changed everything, bringing a boom so big that it has
completely changed the face of the game here. |
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Mohammed yousuf helped snooker become one of Pakistan's most
popular games (cricket, hockey and squash being the other ones)
by beating Iceland's johannes Johannsson 11-9 in the final to
win the world Championship in Johannesburg in Noverber 1944.
Since that astonishing triumph there has been no looking back
for Pakistan snooker. But unfortunately same is not the case
with Yousuf. The champ had to stay away from the national and
international circuit for more than a year after being banned
by the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PPSA) because
of a bitter fight with some top national officials in 1998.
It was the wrost period of Yousuf's illustrious career which
has been him becoming the only Pakistan to win both the World
and Asian titles (he reigned supreme in the '98 Asian Championship
in Karachi'). Yousuf also won the national title a record nine
times, having claimed his first one in 87. He war with PBSA
seems to have ended now and Yousuf is set to make a comeback
early next year as the joint Pakistan number one along with
archrival Saleh Mohammed.
Naseer
Bunda
The
man who heralded a golden era in Pakistan hockey with
a flick of his wrist. Naseer Bunda scored the historic
goal in the 1960 Rome Olympics. some idea of just how
important the victory was for Pakistan, can be had from
the fact that it was celebrated with the announcement
of a national holiday. |
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Initially
a centre-forward, Bunda moved to the inside-left position only
later in his career. And he proved the dicision right be joining
the club of other famous left-ins like Aziz malik, Habibur Rahman
and Shahnaz Sheikh, who followed him many years later. In the
words of his contemporary Abdul Waheed Khan, who witnessed the
unfolding of the Bunda magic at close range from his inside-right
position, Naseer Bunda "was a very quick-footed player... difficult
to be caught once he had beaten the defender."
Samiullah
Like
the Muhammad Brothers who shone with prominence in the
cricket field near and after, Samiullah's family gave
hockey many a star whose individual brilliance earned
them and the country they played for plaudits from the
connoisseurs of the game. |
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The
success story began with Muttiullah who played for Pakistan
in the 1950s and 1960s. Following in the footsteps of his illustrious
uncle, Samiullah set hockey grounds ablaze with his speed --
a quality won him the title of Flying Horse. Even though some
ceitics did not approve of his shift to the outside left position
from the original inside-left, he adjusted well to the change.
With Shahnaz Sheikh in the in the inside-left position that
was dreaded by the soundest of defences. Besides Samaullah,
his younger brother alsao represented the Pakistan side.
Wasim
Akram
from
the time of his debut in 1984-85, Wasim Akram had eaned
the tad of the 'most promising young player in the world.'
he lived up to that arduous notion in every way becoming
pakistan's highest wicket taker and the bowler with
so many deliveries in his armoury that even in the twilight
of his career, he is both admired and feared for his
effortless action and its lethal effects. |
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Wasim Akram was unique in that he was protege of both Imran
Khan and Javed Miandad - two of the most influential cricters
of thgeir time. Both looked to Akram for victories and both
sought to mould him. Wasim bebefited from much advice and went
on to be a unique cricter in his own right.
His short, eager run up, whippy left arm action and an awesome
ability to bowl a wide array of cricketing deliveries has enabled
Akram to stride across the cricketing stage with aplomb. Aside
from the fact that he has been embroiled in unsavoury match
fixing allegations by his team mates, Wasim Akram's has been
a brilliant cricketing career.
Jansher
Khan
Jansher
Khan is totally relaxed and easy going in style. His
performance on court is, paradoxically, completely electrifying.
Jansher Khan first made headlines in 1987 when he won
the World Open and also made it to the final of the
British Open - losing to Jehangir in the final. He won
the World Open again in 1989, 1990 and 1992. |
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He
represented Pakistan in the World Team Championships four times
in the years between 1985 and 1991.
Jansher made his international debut in 1986 when he won the
World Junior Championship. As early as 1988 he was declared
world number one for the first time. He lost the slot briefly
to Jehangir before regaining it in May 1992.
After several losses in the British Open finals, he finally
won the title in 1992 and again the following year, managing
a successful emergence from Jehangir's shadow. His transition
to fame and fortune was traumatic at times, but Jansher proved
to pull through most of the time.
Javed
Miandad
Miandad
was the greatest Test run-scorer and scrapper Pakistan
has ever produced. His street-fighting qualities indeed
almost led to a fight with Dennis Lillee at Perth in
1983-84, when Miandad raised his bat to strike in anger.
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Normally he used it like a maestro to work the ball into space
or play big shots, and there was a touch of genie or genius
about his finest innings, like his two hundreds in successive
Tests in the West Indies in 1987-88. As a captain he was too
abrasive to get on with all of his players. As Pakistan's coach,
too, he had his ups and downs. But nobody can touch his record
of being the only cricketer to play in the first six World Cups,
starting as a legspinning allrounder in 1975 when he had just
turned 18.
Aisum
ul Haq
22
year old Aisum ul Haq is the most successful Pakistani
tennis player, he ever has been threatened with an official
sports ban by his own country for daring to team up
with an Israeli. Aisum ul Haq Qureshi, who made it through
to the third round of Wimbledon, has attracted his government's
displeasure for pairing with Israeli Amir Hadad in the
men's doubles. |
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Although knocked out by seventh seeds Martin Damm and Cyril
Suk on Friday, Qureshi had done better in a Grand Slam event
than any other Pakistani. Despite his success, the Pakistan
Sports Board says the 22-year old will be banned unless he can
come up with a good reason why he chose to play with Hadad.
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Born on 3 March 1970 in Multan Inzamam-ul-Haq is a world renowned
Batsman,he is a symbiosis of strength and subtlety. Power is
no surprise, but sublime touch is remarkable for a man of his
bulk. He loathes exercise and often looks a passenger in the
field, but with a willow between his palms he is suddenly galvanised.
He plays shots all round the wicket, is especially strong off
his legs, and unleashes ferocious pulls and lofted drives. Imran
Khan rates him the best batsman in the world against pace. Early
on he is vulnerable playing across his front pad or groping
outside off stump. He uses his feet well to the spinners although
this aggression can be his undoing. Inzi keeps a cool head in
a crisis and has succeeded Javed Miandad as Pakistan’s premier
batsman
Shoaib
Akhtar
Born
on 13 August 1975, Rawalpindi he is world fastest bowler.
Shoaib Akhtar burst onto the big stage in the 1999 World
Cup with a long, hurtling run-up and blistering speed.
His star status was sealed by a great flop of hair,
a talent for show-boating and a vivid nickname - the
Rawalpindi Express. But it was too much, too young.
A huge ego and his blind ambition to break the 100mph
barrier seemed to matter more to him than cementing
his place in the Pakistan side. |
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The
authorities twice sidelined him over throwing allegations and
although his action was cleared, courtesy of hyperextensible
joints and the University of Western Australia, injuries created
fresh doubts over his international future. However, he channelled
his enormous resources far better in 2002, turning in two of
the most blistering bowling efforts of the year, both against
Australia. First, he blitzed them with a spell of 5 for 25 in
a one-dayer at Brisbane, and then returned 5 for 21 in a spectacular
performance at Colombo that all but won the Test for Pakistan.
The 2003 World Cup was far more disappointing, though. He promised
much, but came a cropper, especially in the needle encounter
against Sachin Tendulkar. Not surprisingly, he was dropped from
Pakistan's line-up post World Cup
Zaheer
Abbas
Zaheer
Abbas made his mark almost at the beginning of the '70s.
He was a competent and happy striker of the ball and
demonstrated immeasurable, infinite power and willingness
to delight the connoisseurs of the game. |
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Very
early on, he was compared to Sir Donald Bradman, the greatest
of all batsmen ever, and the most renowned of all Australians,
and affectionately given the sobriquet of "the Asian Bradman".
Zaheer
had many strokes at his command as batsmen of comparable calibre
and reputation would, but in particular his cover drives were
excellently timed and dispatched with enormous power. For the
execution of this particular stroke he was compared by English
commentators and the Press to Wally (Walter) Hammond, one of
the three great English "Heroes" the other two being Sir (Leonard)
Len Hutton and Sir Jack Hobbs.
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Pakistan
Sports Leading Personalities
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