Pakistan cricketers pay rich tribute to Lala

The following tributes from Pakistan for Lala Amarnath were compiled by CricInfo staffer Imtiaz Ahmed

Since I had known Lala Amarnath for more than 50 years, I was shocked to know about his sad demise. He was a popular, grand old man of cricket who possessed a reservoir of cricket knowledge inside him.

Having played some Ranji Trophy matches under him when he was captain of the Southern Punjab team, I found him to be a shrewd captain and an excellent fighter.

Having been born in Lahore and having played his early cricket there, he had a friendly and a typical Punjabi approach to life. As a captain he wanted to win at all costs. Using the same strategy he defeated us when the Pakistan team visited India in 1952. In Lalaji's death, cricket has lost a legend.

Having met in India and Pakistan on many occasions, we knew each other quite well. He had a special affection for me because my father Naseer-ud-din Khan had played cricket with him.

Lala Amarnath was a great cricketer as well as a great man. A straightforward and upright person, he possessed great knowledge of the game. It was during the Anniversary Test in Adelaide that we spent a week of celebrations together, witnessing the Test match between Australia and the West Indies and participating in all other activities. All cricketers who had captained their national teams in a Test at Adelaide were invited on the grand occasion. It was a coincidence that myself, Mushtaq Mohammad, Chandu Borde, Bishen Singh Bedi and Lala Amarnath travelled by the same flight. Discussing cricket all the way, we thoroughly enjoyed his company and sense of humour.

Not only were our family and Lala Amarnath's family neighbours in Mohalla Jove Mori, inside Shah-Alami Gate Lahore, both of us played our club cricket in Minto Park (now Iqbal Park) Lahore. While Amarnath played for Hindu Gymkhana, I played for Crescent Club, which Amarnath later joined and played for till partition. He was lured into Crescent Club by Ustad Gul, a prominent bowler of the early 30's.

Mad about the game from his childhood, Amarnath was a highly keen, energetic and hard working lad. He used to come to Minto Park early in the morning for his physical exercises. Similarly he would arrive for daily practice much earlier than other club members and ask all those present to bowl to him in the nets.

With his stunning performances both with bat and the ball, Amarnath dominated Lahore's cricket to such an extent that other clubs were scared of him. A tournament called Yousuf Shah - Ramcharandas cricket tournament was played in December every year. Once Mamdot Club and Crescent Club landed in the final, Scared of Amarnath's ability to clinch the match single handedly, some miscreants from the opponents group manhandled him an evening before the match to prevent him from playing. Some members from his club rescued him and prepared him for the encounter. Next morning, Amarnath scored a marvelous 50 against Mohammad Nissar, the fastest bowler of that era and helped Crescent Club win the final.

Not the scion of an affluent family, Amarnath was supported by his friends, the most prominent among them being Haji Tawakal Majeed and his elder brother Babu Ibrahim. Playing for Northern India at Amritsar, Amarnath scored a prolific 100 against the visiting MCC. A hat was sent around for donations, in which the cricket lovers dropped cash, jewellery, gold rings, wrist watches and other items. On his return to Lahore, Amarnath placed everything in front of his mentor, Haji Tawakal Majeed, who patted him on the back and said, "being the reward of your great performance, this must be kept by you."

It is surprising that Amarnath who started as a wicket keeper, achieved such mastery over batting and bowling that he ultimately ended up as a distinguished all-rounder.