Latif Jafri: 50 years of Pakistan cricket- part 5 (22 Sep 1997)

22 September 1997

50 years of Pakistan cricketpart 5

By Latif Jafri

JUST four months after England had completed their engagements in Pakistan the latter paid a return visit to their country in the season of 1962. Unlike the tour eight years ago when Pakistan had surprised the English team by squaring the rubber the second trip proved a total disaster as the home side thrashed the visitors quite convincingly by wrapping up the series 4-0, asserting their superiority in all departments of the game.

Javed Burki, whose case for captaincy was pushed up by the cricket officials as also the bureaucrats, failed to be an ideal skipper like Kardar in 1954. Both were Oxford Blues but neither he could guide the team properly, many members having little experience of the English conditions, nor he could use the resources at his disposal with shrewd judgment.

Hanif Mohammad was bothered all through the English schedule by knee trouble and could not give of his best. Even Fazal Mahmud, sent midway through the tour, was seen to have lost much of his old fire and could not bowl incisively as was expected, even through the wickets helped the English pacers, particularly their famed Trueman and Statham. England were in total command of the first Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, hitting a huge 544 for five declared. Colin Cowdrey was in tremendous form knocking up 159 as an opener. Both Tom Graveney and Dexter also batted commendably but it was Peter Parfitt who added to the Pakistani bowlers' woes by reaching a century with gay abandon, taking inspiration from Dexter, Cowdrey and Graveney. Parfitt's 151 with David Allen (11 fours in a personal score of 79) is still England's best for the sixth wicket against Pakistan.

It was a tough job for Pakistan and even though Hanif (47) and Mushtaq (63) tried might and main their plucky efforts could not save the country and England, with a lead of 298, enforced the follow-on. England effortlessly cantered home winning by a margin of an innings and 24 runs with more than a day to spare.

The second Test at Lord's again ended in defeat for Pakistan with two days and half an hour left for play. The visitors were shot out for just 100 in the first knock, all the batsmen were insecure against the efficiency of Trueman, pure pace, and Coldwall, fast-medium. Their swinging and lifting deliveries did most of the damage. With 270 runs in arrears, Pakistan displayed better batting through will-power and determination. Captain Javed Burki struck an easeful hundred at the headquarters. Later, it was the turn of Nasim, usually a might-watchman, to persist for considerably long time to score a fascinating 101. Burki's record of 197 with Nasim for the fifth wicket is still intact. Yet Pakistan could not save the match and England, having made 370 in the first innings, were winners by nine wickets.

The disappointment for Pakistan continued at Headingley, Leeds, where England wrapped up the third Test by an innings and 117 runs within three days. England's pace attack was full of hostility and vehemence with the return to the side of Statham to assist Trueman. They tore apart Pakistan's top, middle and lower order in both the innings. The watchful batting of Alimuddin and Saeed Ahmed in the second knock showed that guts were needed to face the England bowling. Burki was struck by a Statham ball and was in pain in both the innings.

England were in trouble when they opened, sent in by Burki, but Parfitt was in fine shape and his exacting strokes brought him another century after the first Test. England's total of 428 was good enough to give them victory by an innings and the rubber. With David Allen, Peter Parfitt recorded the best 9th wicket stand of 99 against Pakistan. Pacer Munir Malik shone with 5 wickets for 128.

Pakistan's new-ball bowlers had to strain themselves out with the result that after the end of the third Test Mahmud Hussain and Mohammad Farooq almost broke down and the services of the old horse, Fazal, had to be requisitioned from home.

In the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, rain prevented play on the whole of the first day and cut the duration of the game on the third day. Even though England appeared on top for most of the time Pakistan escaped with a draw, avoiding a clean sweep by the home combination. England batsmen collared the Pakistan bowlers, strengthened in the match by the arrival of Fazal Mahmud. Munir Malik removed Pullar quite early but David Sheppard and Dexter were not separated before 161 runs were added by them. Later Graveney gave a demonstration of attacking batsmanship for his score of 114. Parfitt, with an easeful swing of the bat and in total confidence, came to his third Test hundred in a row, the fourth successive one taking the 111 hit up in Karachi.

Even though Fazal had arrived only four days ago to reinforce the side he took the burden of bowling with inexhaustible energy. He was at the run-up throughout the England batting except perhaps half an hour. There was a tremendous effort on the second day and he sweated and toiled unchanged on the third morning as well. It was a show of superb stamina, devotion to duty and enthusiasm. Sadly, the batsmen did not display the same concentration, the same prowess that were needed in response to England's 428 declared with the loss of five wickets. Only Mushtaq, Saeed and Nasim, now a true-blue batsman, had the swift feet to resist the assault of Trueman, Statham and Knight but Pakistan followed on 209 behind.

Saeed's 51 for the seventh wicket with Nasim stayed as a record for 25 years. Pakistan had a shaky beginning in the second knock as they were 187 for five. Perhaps the match was gone but Mushtaq and Saeed defied the England bowlers with assurance to remove any Pakistani fears. The fourth Test ended as a draw.

Grit and determination gave Mushtaq a second century in Test before crossing 19 years in age, the only instance in the game's history. England proved their all-round supremacy by winning the fifth Test by 10 wickets at The Oval, with more than a day to spare.

Two centuries by Cowdrey (his highest in Test with 182) and Dexter (172) and two fifties by Sheppard (57) and Barrington (50) gave England a winning total of 480 for the loss of five wickets at which Dexter closed the innings. The task of the Pakistani seamers had been made difficult because of the sleeping pitch.

Only Imtiaz, Mushtaq and Hanif (sent lower down) could properly cope with the English bowling and yet Pakistan followed on 297 runs behind. Larter, a 6ft, 7 1/2 in giant, changed his pace well and maintained a good line and length to strain the nerves of the Pakistani batsmen. He claimed nine wickets in his maiden Test.

Though Imtiaz batted brilliantly, missing three figures by just two runs in the second innings, and Mushtaq (72), Javed Burki (42) and later Wallis (48) and Nasim (24) played steady shots the task for Pakistan was impossible. The second-wicket partnership of 248 by Cowdrey and Dexter is still the highest for England against Pakistan.

This was the last Test for Fazal Mahmud, having served the country for 10 years. His wonderful change of pace and line and deliveries that occasionally dipped taxed the technique of all batsmen, including those fully organised in batting skill like Hutton of England and Hazare of India. He was total wrecker-inchief of the Indian batsmen at the Lucknow Test in the inaugural series and of the English lineup at The Oval in 1954. A genuine toiler like some of the classical medium-pacers and 'cutters' of yore viz George Lohmann, Maurice Tate, Bedser and Amar Singh he claimed 139 wickets in his Test career with an average of 24.70, the first Pakistani to have the scalps of over 100 victims. The Australians, taking a short rest after winning the Ashes series in England in 1964, came to the subcontinent and had only one Test in their programme in Pakistan. The representative match at Karachi, a drawn encounter, was notable for six Pakistani batsmen making their Test debuts, among them were two former captains, Asif Iqbal and Majid Khan, who now heads the hierarchy of cricket in the country as Chief Executive.

Hanif's right for captaincy was duly accepted and thankfully he was fit on the field after the knee surgery.

On a perfect pitch of the National Stadium Pakistan made a fine start. Khalid 'Billy' Ibadullah and Abdul Kadir set a first-wicket record of 249, which is the highest by the pair against all Test countries. Ibdullah hit a century on Test debut, the first Pakistani to do so. Kadir, who missed the hundred in his Test baptism by just five runs, was subdued though steady but runs flowed briskly from the cracking bat of Ibadullah having the experience of county cricket in Warwickshire. In the lower order Asif Iqbal and Intikhab played adventurously. A total of 414, quite a safe one, by Pakistan was the highest then against Australia.

For the visitors Bobby Simpson distinguished himself with two separate hundreds in a Test. Cheers greeted his knocks, full of audacious, pretty shots. His was almost a lone effort for he did not get the needed support from his batting-mates. With a score of 352 by Australia it was evident that no result was possible and when Pakistan declared on the final morning at 279 for 8 the former had to get 342 runs in 290 minutes. Simpson and Bill Lawry set a quick pace on an easy strip yet later Redpath went to his shell and the match ended in a stalemate. Pakistan visited Australia and New Zealand in the cricket season of 1964-65. In Australia though three states had engagements with the visiting side, the tour was limited to only one drawn Test at the Melbourne Cricket ground.

Hanif, captaining Pakistan, returned to his full form with a century and 93 in the two knocks. Saeed fiercely hit the ball with correct footwork and wristwork, and made a polished 80 in a Pakistan's total of 287. In the Australian innings the top order and the middle one made the bowlers' task difficult even though Arif Butt, a debutant claimed six wickets with persistent effort. Australia exceeded Pakistan's effort with a score of 448 in the first knock. Abdul Kadir (35), Javed Burki (47), Intikhab Alam (61), apart from Hanif, played well enough to remove any fears of a setback against the fire and devilment of McKenzie and Hawke.

Hanif completed 3,000 runs in Tests, the first Pakistani to have reached the landmark.

The ninth-wicket stand of 56 between Intikhab and Afaq still remains a record against Australia. The 84 scored by Hanif and Burki for the fourth wicket stayed as the highest against Australia for 17 years. Later during the tour of New Zealand the resultless three-Test rubber disappointed the spectators, who were usually thin. Apart from Hanif, who hit the only century during the series, the experienced campaigners in the side like Saeed and Burki failed to put up an impressive performance.

Asif Iqbal, a fine athlete, shone on the venues of Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland, as a batsman a hard driver of the ball, as a fast-medium bowler troubled the batsmen and took wickets, and as a quick-footed fielder - an energetic all-rounder who delighted the connoisseurs and earned the appreciation of the critics. Pervez Sajjad's left-handed leg breaks, with flight variations, deceived the batsmen. His angle of the spin was excellently devised to drive the batsmen into a trap.

It still could not be thoroughly assessed by the experts as to why the series were dull and ended in a stalemate. Perhaps the safety-methods of the two teams were the main reason for there were dramatic collapses as well but still the combatants failed to seize victory. In the first Test at Wellington only two hours of play was possible and this ruled out any result except a draw.

At Auckland the second Test was drawn. New Zealand needed 240 to win in 220 minutes, perhaps an attainable target. The home side started quite confidently their second knock yet Pervez Sajjad caused a sensation by taking four wickets in 10 deliveries without any run. The Eden Park crowd gave the visiting bowler loud cheering for his high quality of biting left-arm spin. The New Zealanders were disappointed not to earn a victory.

The third Test at Christchurch followed the pattern of the two earlier duels and failed to break the deadlock. Rain hit the last hours of play on the first day. Hanif came to his deserving hundred in a cautious vein and Saeed too exhibited spirit and enterprise while making 87. There was no chance of a New Zealand win even though set to make 314 in 243 minutes. The batting of the home outfit was purposeless and negative for reasons better known to them.

Pakistan played host to the New Zealand side just after a month of their tour of the Oceania country. In a three-Test programme Pakistan recorded victory in a home series after six years, showing some improvement over the below-par performance in England which was a sad memory.

Salahuddin, an all-rounder, made his debut at the age of 18 years and 41 days in the first Test at the Rawlapindi Club ground and immediately made an impact with off-breaks and a bright 34. His prettily-poised bat showed strokes and later defiance to set a tenth-wicket record of 65 in partnership with Mohmmad Farooq.

Salahuddin had learnt the art of off-spin in college and with clever changeful flight he took wickets to fully contribute to Pakistan's victory by an innings and 64 runs with more than a day to spare. Pervez Sajjad, younger brother of the famed Waqar Hasan, gave another display of admirable leg-spin and took eight wickets for 47 runs. New Zealand lost seven wickets for two runs in the second knock;Pervez was just unplayable. They succumbed for just 76 runs, their second lowest score against Pakistan.

Saeed Ahmad and Ilyas struck a brisk 114 for the second wicket which was a record then against the Kiwis.

Reid, making his 53rd consecutive Test appearance, beat the records of Frank Woolley and Peter May a (52 Tests).

The second Test in a rain-hit pitch of Lahore ended in a draw with the two sides batting doggedly. Hanif's unbeaten 203 was his highest on a home ground. In partnership with Majid Khan (80) he put on 217 for the sixth wicket, the highest against New Zealand and against any country. Pakistan's first innings score of 385 for 7 when Hanif declared was quite a challenge for the visitors on a tricky surface. Yet New Zealanders batted carefully for a total of 482 for 6.

Reid declared after an hour's batting on the fifth day so Pakistan had but to play out time. They struggled to make 194 for the loss of eight wickets on the rain-hit strip.

In the third Test at Karachi the Pakistani batsmen faced barracking for their slow and drab attitude in the first innings. But Saeed Ahmed later forced the pace to help Pakistan put on 308 for eight.

Reid, the New Zealand captain, was in excellent form, and made an aggressive century in the first knock and 76 in the second. Still the visitors could not avoid defeat as Ilyas hit an adventurous century, his first in a Test match, and Naushad Ali took the cue from him and was seen to be in a hard-hitting mood.

In 330 minutes 202 had to be attained but Pakistan romped home with the loss of only two wickets, clinching the rubber by 2-0. (To be continued)

Source:: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)