Aftab Baloch : 428 in First Class Match but played only 2 Test

[Howzat_1]

I have read Aftab’s name in cricket record books, so, eager to knew about this cricketer and got the below information.

• Debut against New Zealand in 1969 at the age of 16 years and 221 days scored 25 in 1[SUP]st[/SUP] innings and didn’t bat in 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] innings. This made him the second youngest Test player in history at that time.
• He Scored 428 for Sind against Baluchistan](http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/34/34016.html) in 1973-74, the seventh highest score in first-class cricket and Highest Score on Position No. 4.
• He made his Test debut in 1969 but was not played again until the Karachi press picked up his case and claimed that the ‘Lahore lobby’ was keeping him out of the side.
• The cricket board responded by selecting him for Pakistan’s 1974 tour of England but he wasn’t played in any of the three Tests.
• However, Aftab was finally given another Test against the visiting West Indian side (Strongest Team at that time) in 1975. In 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] innings Pakistan team was in trouble as they were 214/5, while batting on No. 7 position, he rescued the team (60 not out) with a century partnership (116) with Mushataq Mohammad*. But was inexplicably dropped for the next Test in Karachi and never got chance to present National Team.
• The press again cried foul, but its campaign for Aftab gradually faded away along with the man.
• Test Career ended with after playing 2 test with an average of 48.50
• First Class career ended after scoring 9 thousands runs with an Avg 42 and 223 wickets.

I don’t want to argue that Karachi/Lahore lobby exist or not but we must admit that he was one the unluckiest cricketers and I am still in shock that the only First Class quadruple-centurion of the 1970s, played only two test for Pakistan ?

There are many others players who didn’t get the proper chance and faded away, this practice is still going on.

951 for 7 dec - Sind v Baluchistan, Karachi 1973-74](http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/242365.html)

Was this the most one-sided fixture in the history of first-class cricket? At the National Stadium in Karachi in February 1974, Sind bowled Baluchistan out for 93 in just 45 eight-ball overs … and responded with a hulking great 951 for 7 declared. The central figure in the slaughter was Sind’s captain, Aftab Baloch, whose epic 428 was at the time the sixth-highest score in first-class history, and the seventh in excess of 400. He was assisted by centuries from Bashir Shana and a young Javed Miandad, who was run out for exactly 100, and went on to make 163 on Test debut against New Zealand two-and-a-half years later. [Javed scored Century and Double century in his first series and selector had no excuse to keep him out of the team] Baluchistan rallied in their second innings, but were still routed by the hideous margin of an innings and 575 runs.

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[Howzat_1]

Aftab Baloch: Pakistan’s middle-order batsman well-known for compiling quadruple Ton

Aftab Baloch: Pakistan**

Aftab Baloch: Pakistan’s middle-order batsman well-known for compiling quadruple century in First-Class cricket**

By Bharath Ramaraj
February 20, 2014, 11:01 pm

*Aftab Baloch, born on February 20, 1953 played two Tests for Pakistan. But he is better remembered for compiling a quadruple century in First-Class cricket for Sind against Baluchistan. *

It was 1973-74 season. Baluchistan, the whipping boys of Pakistan’s domestic circuit was taking on their formidable foes Sind. It turned out to be one of those lop-sided encounters that saw Sind win the game by an innings and plenty. But, it is still remembered in the annals of cricket for Sind’s middle-order batsman, Aftab Baloch wafting his willow like a magic wand and twinning it with reservoir of patience to essay a knock of 428.

In fact by then, Baloch had already made his Test debut, against New Zealand. In his very first Test at the tender age of 16, he could play only one innings as the game ended in a stalemate. Baloch compiled a fine knock of 25, before he was snared by the English born New Zealand all-rounder, Victor Pollard. He went onto play another Test for Pakistan and that came against a fine West Indies line-up at Lahore in 1975. Keith Boyce, Bernard Julien, Verburn Holder and the young tearaway, Andy Roberts were all over him like a rash in the first innings of the Test.

He finally succumbed to the merciless Windies pace-bowling battery with Boyce sending him on a long walk back to the pavilion for 12. Baloch followed that up with his highest score in Tests with a well-measured innings of 60 in the second dig. He came into bat with the match very much in balance. Baloch shone like a shimmering light to notch up a half-century and take Pakistan to a position of strength from where they could dictate terms.

Actually, he was also picked to tour the Old Blighty after he compiled that astonishing knock of 428 against Baluchistan in 1973-74. Unfortunately from his perspective, he didn’t play in that series.

The simple truth is that despite playing two Tests for his country, Baloch is best remembered for the one epoch-making moment he had in his career against Baluchistan. From Ijaz Yousuf to arguably their best bowler, the off-spinner, Syed Sabahat Hussain struggled to stem the flow of runs, as Baloch continued to gallop his way to heavenly heights.

During that reality-altering innings, he became the then seventh batsman to cross the coveted landmark of 400 runs. Among the highest individual scores in First-Class cricket, he was then placed at No 6 in batting charts. Baloch also captained the Sind to a believe-it-or-not innings victory in that game.

After touching those firmament heights in First-Class cricket, in some ways that timeless composition seemed to haunt him for the rest of his career, as perhaps too much was expected of him.

Curiously, by coincidence, once he was even allotted a room numbered 428 in a hotel.

The middle-order batsman walked into the sunset of his career after he played for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 1985.

Even now when we look at those who have accrued over 400 runs in a single innings, Aftab Baloch’s name just doesn’t seem to fit into a list made up of glittering stars like Bill Ponsford, Archie MacLaren, Don Bradman and Brian Lara. But make no mistake; to amass a quadruple century in a single innings requires a batsman to be bestowed with generous portion of talent and a tunnel-visioned aim to succeed.

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Re: Aftab Baloch: Pakistan’s middle-order batsman well-known for compiling quadruple

@Tanha2012

Aftab Baloch: Pakistan**

Aftab Baloch: Pakistan’s middle-order batsman well-known for compiling quadruple century in First-Class cricket**

By Bharath Ramaraj
February 20, 2014, 11:01 pm

*Aftab Baloch, born on February 20, 1953 played two Tests for Pakistan. But he is better remembered for compiling a quadruple century in First-Class cricket for Sind against Baluchistan. *

It was 1973-74 season. Baluchistan, the whipping boys of Pakistan’s domestic circuit was taking on their formidable foes Sind. It turned out to be one of those lop-sided encounters that saw Sind win the game by an innings and plenty. But, it is still remembered in the annals of cricket for Sind’s middle-order batsman, Aftab Baloch wafting his willow like a magic wand and twinning it with reservoir of patience to essay a knock of 428.

In fact by then, Baloch had already made his Test debut, against New Zealand. In his very first Test at the tender age of 16, he could play only one innings as the game ended in a stalemate. Baloch compiled a fine knock of 25, before he was snared by the English born New Zealand all-rounder, Victor Pollard. He went onto play another Test for Pakistan and that came against a fine West Indies line-up at Lahore in 1975. Keith Boyce, Bernard Julien, Verburn Holder and the young tearaway, Andy Roberts were all over him like a rash in the first innings of the Test.

He finally succumbed to the merciless Windies pace-bowling battery with Boyce sending him on a long walk back to the pavilion for 12. Baloch followed that up with his highest score in Tests with a well-measured innings of 60 in the second dig. He came into bat with the match very much in balance. Baloch shone like a shimmering light to notch up a half-century and take Pakistan to a position of strength from where they could dictate terms.

Actually, he was also picked to tour the Old Blighty after he compiled that astonishing knock of 428 against Baluchistan in 1973-74. Unfortunately from his perspective, he didn’t play in that series.

The simple truth is that despite playing two Tests for his country, Baloch is best remembered for the one epoch-making moment he had in his career against Baluchistan. From Ijaz Yousuf to arguably their best bowler, the off-spinner, Syed Sabahat Hussain struggled to stem the flow of runs, as Baloch continued to gallop his way to heavenly heights.

During that reality-altering innings, he became the then seventh batsman to cross the coveted landmark of 400 runs. Among the highest individual scores in First-Class cricket, he was then placed at No 6 in batting charts. Baloch also captained the Sind to a believe-it-or-not innings victory in that game.

After touching those firmament heights in First-Class cricket, in some ways that timeless composition seemed to haunt him for the rest of his career, as perhaps too much was expected of him.

Curiously, by coincidence, once he was even allotted a room numbered 428 in a hotel.

The middle-order batsman walked into the sunset of his career after he played for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 1985.

Even now when we look at those who have accrued over 400 runs in a single innings, Aftab Baloch’s name just doesn’t seem to fit into a list made up of glittering stars like Bill Ponsford, Archie MacLaren, Don Bradman and Brian Lara. But make no mistake; to amass a quadruple century in a single innings requires a batsman to be bestowed with generous portion of talent and a tunnel-visioned aim to succeed.

my dad use to tell me about Aftab’s game and how he batted and his centuries. my dad was his big fan. While our son & dad section at the nets he always use to tell me and teach me how to drive like him and to have a straight bat for which i still struggle at.

It is sad that many of our good cricketers did not get or should I say still do not get a chance to even show what they are capable of. I wonder why our cricket / player selection is Limited only to Punjab or should I say Lahore.

[Howzat_1]

Re: Aftab Baloch: Pakistan’s middle-order batsman well-known for compiling quadruple

my dad use to tell me about Aftab's game and how he batted and his centuries. my dad was his big fan. While our son & dad section at the nets he always use to tell me and teach me how to drive like him and to have a straight bat for which i still struggle at.

It is sad that many of our good cricketers did not get or should I say still do not get a chance to even show what they are capable of. I wonder why our cricket / player selection is Limited only to Punjab or should I say Lahore.

Nice to know this.
I didn't want to argue on cricket politics and wanted to open it in a separate thread, Coz people have no knowledge of the facts and don't wanna listen any -ve comments about their favorite players and may be I am also one of them but yea, we should admit that Lahore/Karachi Region fights have destroyed many cricketers career. Most embarrassing thins is this that our very senior cricketers are also involve in it, their liking disliking really damaged many talented cricketers.

[ehsan]

Re: Aftab Baloch: Pakistan’s middle-order batsman well-known for compiling quadruple

my dad use to tell me about Aftab's game and how he batted and his centuries. my dad was his big fan. While our son & dad section at the nets he always use to tell me and teach me how to drive like him and to have a straight bat for which i still struggle at.

It is sad that many of our good cricketers did not get or should I say still do not get a chance to even show what they are capable of.** I wonder why our cricket / player selection is Limited only to Punjab or should I say Lahor**e.

Not quite true. players like, Wasm Bari, Miandad, Zaheer, Yousuf (wicket keeper), Rashid latif, Basit Ali, Moin Khan etc were all from Karachi. Statements like these are unhelpful and incorrect.