Pakistan Cricket - A Timeline

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**Pakistan Cricket - A Walk through the Past **

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** Pre Test Status**

At the time of partition, cricket was mainly played in Lahore and most of the players who were to represent Pakistan in those early years came from Lahore, products of Government and Islamia colleges and clubs such as Crescent and Mamdot. Some of them had played in the Ranji trophy , the premier domestic tournament of pre partition India. In 1948 - 49, a West Indies team led by John Goddard toured Pakistan and this was the first international cricket encounter for Pakistan.

Pakistan was led by Mian Mohammad Saeed and names like Fazal Mahmood, Khan Mohammad, Nazar Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, and Maqsood Ahmed made their unofficial international debut. These were names that we would hear again and again in the years to come. There were other international matches. Pakistan toured Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1949-50, a Commonwealth team visited Pakistan in 1949-50, and Ceylon in 1950-51. But it was Nigel Howard’s MCC that toured Pakistan in 1951-52 that set up Pakistan on the international platform. Abdul Hafeez Kardar had returned to Pakistan after completing his studies at Oxford and was appointed captain. Kardar had played test cricket having toured England with the Indian team in 1946 and having played both for Oxford and Warwickshire. Pakistan scored a notable victory against Nigel Howard’s MCC at the Karachi Gymkhana.

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Governor General Khwaja Nazimuddin was present at the ground to see Pakistan win. This match saw the emergence of a schoolboy cricketer, Hanif Mohammad who would electrify the cricket world and become a world record holder and arguably the best opening batsmen Pakistan has ever produced.
A consequence of this win was that Pakistan gained international recognition and was given full test status by the ICC. Pakistan cricket had arrived.

** The 50’s**

The romance with the game of cricket had begun. Pakistan toured India in 1952-53. It was a team that was lacking in experience, only Kardar and the ageing Amir Elahi had played test cricket. But what the team lacked in experience, it made up in enthusiasm. Pakistan lost the series but not without notching up a spectacular win in the Lucknow test match which also confirmed Fazal Mahmud as a world-class bowler.

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It was Pakistan’s tour of England in 1954 that was the defining moment of Pakistan cricket. Dubbed as “the babes of cricket” and mercilessly but affectionately patronised by the English media, Pakistani was to pull off one of the greatest upsets in modern cricket when it beat England at The Oval and drew the series. The English were stunned and the newspapers wrote that England had been “Fazalled”. The test match was a personal triumph for Fazal Mahmood who, on a rain-affected wicket had match figures of 12 wickets for 99 runs. The team received the tumultuous reception when it arrived home. Thousands of cricket fans turned out to welcome them. Cricket had ceased to be the game for the elite. It had become a national passion and the fortunes of the cricket team were to be forever linked to the pride and aspirations of the country. The cricket public became demanding and critical and the team became the yardstick with which the progress of the country was measured!

In 1954-55, India led by Vinod Mankad toured Pakistan. India’s tour of Pakistan served up dull cricket and it was obvious that neither team was prepared to risk losing. All the test matches were drawn and only one of them is worth remembering - the Lahore test match played in the pastoral settings of the Bagh-e- Jinnah, where Maqsood Ahmed played a memorable innings, an innings that broke many hearts for he was out on 99 stumped Tamhane bowled Gupte. One listener in Bahawalpur was reported to have died of a heart attack when Maqsood was out.
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Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore

New Zealand led by Harry Cave was the next team to tour and Pakistan made short work of them, winning the series easily but were given a fright in Lahore when they lost six wickets for very few and had to be rescued by a seventh wicket partnership between Imtiaz Ahmed and Waqar Hasan who put on 308 runs, a record that holds good to this day. Imtiaz made 209 and Waqar 189. What I remember most about this series was the spirit in which it was played, the credit going to the New Zealanders.

MCC ‘A’ team visited Pakistan in 1955-56 and is mainly remembered for the Peshawar incident in which some members of the MCC team roughed up the standing umpire Idris Beg in what was officially described as “horseplay that backfired”. It was a little more serious than that. The MCC ‘A’ team came close to being asked to pack their bags and go home. In 1956 Australia, led by Ian Johnson played a solitary test match at Karachi which Pakistan won convincingly on a matting wicket, Fazal Mahmood and Khan Mohammad being more than a handful for a tired Australian team that was returning from England after being soundly thrashed.

In 1957-58 Pakistan toured the West Indies, their first visit abroad since the England tour of 1954. It was a team that left in high hopes but these hopes were dashed and Pakistan lost the series but was able to win the final test match. Two world records were established in this series. Gary Sobers passed Len Hutton’s record of 364, the highest in the test by an individual and made 365 in the Kingston test match, and Hanif Mohammad made a monumental 327 at Bridgetown, Barbados, batting for 970 minutes, 16 hours and 10 minutes and saving a test match that Pakistan seemed certain to lose. It established Hanif Mohammad as a legend.

Kardar retired after this series. He had been a stern, gentlemen cricketer who is rightly considered the George Washington of Pakistan’s cricket. Under his leadership, Pakistan had won at least one test match against every opponent. Considering that he had taken over the reins when Pakistan cricket was in its infancy, it was a creditable record. He had instilled discipline in the team and had drilled the will to win within the team members, something that Imran Khan was to do later.

Fazal Mahmood took over the captaincy and met with immediate success when the West Indies toured Pakistan in 1958-59, winning the series though one felt that the umpiring standards left much to be desired. Gary Sobers failed to make any big scores and fell victim to some dodgy decisions. He makes bitter mention of the tour in his book. But at Lahore another two records were set. Mushtaq Mohammad at the age of 15 years and 1 24 days became the youngest player to play test cricket and Pakistan lost its first match on its soil. The West Indies, led by a blistering 216 by Rohan Kanhai romped home to an innings win. Richie Benaud’s Australians came in 1958-59 and won the series

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** The 60's**
Fazal Mahmood took Pakistan to India in 1960-61 and all the tests were drawn. Though there were useful contributions from Hanif Mohammad, Saeed Ahmed and Imtiaz Ahmed, the quality of cricket was poor and it was an eminently forgettable series, so much so that Pakistan and India did not play against each other for another 17 years though this had more to do with the fragile political relations between the two countries than with cricket. Pakistan was now caught in a treacherous transition as many senior players either are retired or were over the hill and the nest entrants lacked the experience. The sixties were a blank period, marked by several changes in captaincy.

For Pakistan's tour of England in 1962, a relatively unknown Javed Burki was appointed captain. He had played for Oxford and had toured India with Pakistan in 1960-61. It could have been described as a bold and imaginative decision had the claims of Hanif Mohammad and Imtiaz Ahmed not been so compelling. It turned out to be a disastrous tour and Pakistan was beaten, the only redeeming feature being centuries by Nasim-ul-Ghani and Javed Burki in the Lord’s test match, which Pakistan, in any event, lost. Midway through the tour Fazal Mahmood was flown to bolster the bowling but alas he was well past it. The Oval hero of 1954 had become The Oval zero. It did no justice to this great bowler and provided a lesson to all: that when you retire, you should stay retired.

Hanif Mohammad was made captain of Pakistan for a short tour of Australia in 1964-65 and in the only test match played, he came within a whisker of making 100 in each innings - 103 and 93 - a performance that was warmly lauded by Sir Donald Bradman and there can be no higher praise. New Zealand came to Pakistan soon after and lost the series 2 – 0, Hanif continuing in his excellent form, making 203 in the Lahore test match. But new players were pressing their claims, chief among them Asif Iqbal and Majid Khan. In 1967, Pakistan toured England with Hanif as captain. It was a summer of mixed fortunes. At Lord's, Hanif Mohammad played an innings that was out of character for him. Associated with stodginess and the ability to drop anchor and shore up the innings, Hanif made 187 not out, an innings that sparkled, that lit up Lord’s and amazed, pleasantly, his devoted fans. He batted as if he had something to prove. Considered vulnerable against genuine fast bowling, he was particularly severe on John Snow, laying to rest the myth that quick bowlers could intimidate him.
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Hanif Mohammad
That particular test match was drawn but had Pakistan gambled on taking their chances, they could have won it. They chose safety. They lost the other test matches, but at The Oval, Asif Iqbal who was mainly a bowler who could bat, played an innings of such astonishing ferocity that the jury of those who picked the man of the match had to change their candidate. Asif Iqbal made 146 and with Inthikab Alam, who made 51, put on 90 for the ninth wicket, a record. The fact that the series had been lost was forgotten in the euphoria of this innings and it must rate, in my estimation, as of one of the greatest played. There was not a false shot, no element of doubt. It was a pedigreed innings that established him as a front rank batsman.

Unfortunately, Pakistan cricket continued to be plagued with uncertainty and this was manifested in changes in captaincy. When Mike Smith brought the England team in 1968-69, Hanif Mohammad had been given the sack and Saeed Ahmed was appointed captain. It was a decision that did neither player any good and when New Zealand toured Pakistan in 1969-70, Pakistan had another captain, Inthikab Alam. It was in this series that the youngest of the brothers Sadiq Mohammad made his debut while his brother, the legendary Hanif Mohammad retired or more properly was made to retire. It was an unworthy end to a great career but unlike army generals who just fade away, sportsmen are simply discarded when their ‘use-by’ date expires.

** The 70's**
The seventies saw a continuation of the captaincy musical chairs though this did not seem to reflect in the performance of the team. Pakistan went to England in 1971 sharing the summer with India. The tour saw the launching of a new batting star who would dominate the Pakistan cricket scene for many years. Zaheer Abbas was then a bespectacled gangly young man who resembled an absent-minded professor. In the first test match at Edgbaston he scored 274, an innings that had experts in rapture. He was a batsman in the classical mould and old timers saw a trace of Wally Hammond in him. In years to come other batsmen would be likened to him, the ultimate tribute.

Pakistan lost the series narrowly losing at Leeds by 24 runs but Pakistan had done enough to earn the respect of the cricket world. One other player made his test debut on this tour. A schoolboy called Imran Khan. He bowled fast with a slinging action, with control on neither length nor line. The potential was evident but no one could have foretold that he would one-day become the world's most charismatic cricketer and who would turn around Pakistan cricket and make them world champions. If Kardar was Pakistan cricket's George Washington, Imran Khan was destined to be its Abraham Lincoln.

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In 1972-73 Pakistan toured Australia and New Zealand, losing to Ian Chappell’s Australia by the extravagant margins of 3 - 0 but winning the series against New Zealand - Pakistan's first series when abroad. For his efforts, Inthikab Alam, the captain was removed and Majid Khan appointed in his place when Tony Lewis brought an England team. But when Pakistan toured England in 1974, Inthikab Alam was restored as captain. I was the manager of this team. Although the test series was drawn, the team went through the tour undefeated and winning the prudential one-day series 2-0. No other team since Donald Bradman’s all conquering Australians in 1948 had achieved this.

Imran Khan was now at Oxford and was a member of the team, part of Pakistan's three pronged pace attack but ahead of him were Asif Masood and Sarfraz Nawaz, but he played in all the tests without setting the Thames on fire.

Cricket was changing. The one-day or limited overs cricket that had started as a sideshow was getting to be attractive but was still regarded as crash-bang cricket, a bit of a slog but it was beginning to attract crowds. The first World Cup was played in England in 1975 and Pakistan was captained by Asif Iqbal. The West Indies won the tournament in a canter. In 1976-77, New Zealand came to Pakistan and a young Karachi lad made his test debut. His name was Javed Miandad. He announced his arrival by making 163 at Lahore on debut. He followed it up by making 206 at Karachi, the youngest player at age 19 years and 141 days to make the test double hundred. He was described as the batting find of the decade.
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He was to become much more than that. He played 124 test matches making 8832 runs, his highest being 280 not-out against India at Hyderabad in 1982-83. He played in 233 one-day internationals and scored 7381 runs. These are formidable statistics but they tell nothing of his value to the team. He captained Pakistan in 24 test matches and must rank with Sunil Gavaskar as the best batsman ever produced by the subcontinent.
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After a gap of 17 years, India led by Bishen Bedi toured Pakistan. By this time Imran Khan had already become a force in world cricket. He had changed from a tear-away fast bowler with a slinging action into one with the smooth rhythmic run-up and a side-on delivery, his shirt gusting and his hair blowing in the wind. He had become a bowler who gave batsmen sleepless nights. He was also developing into a shrewd reader of the game, an early sign that he was captaincy material. Mushtaq Mohammad was Pakistan's captain, the tradition of changing captains was being maintained. Pakistan won the series 2-0, a series that was dominated by Zaheer Abbas but saw two fantastic run chases at Lahore and at Karachi in which, apart from Zaheer Abbas - Asif Iqbal, Javed Miandad, and Imran were also involved. Bishen Bedi, a great left arm spin bowler is remembered in Pakistan as the bowler who was hit for two consecutive sixes by Imran Khan at Karachi and which enabled Pakistan to win the match. Sadly, Bishen Bedi lost his job as captain of India.

Pakistan had weathered the Packer storm. Its star players had joined Packer and had been banned from playing for Pakistan. But they were back in favour as soon as it became clear that Pakistan could not do without them. Those who had defected included Imran Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Mushtaq Mohammad, Majid khan and Asif Iqbal. But Packer had left his mark in the way of player-power and we would see it in operation a few years later.

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There was the World Cup in England in 1979 and once again Pakistan faltered at the finishing line and failed to make the finals. Pakistan's tour of India in 1979-80 saw Pakistan lose the series and Asif Iqbal the captaincy. Javed Miandad was appointed captain against Greg Chappell’s Australians, an eminently forgettable series played on flat, lifeless pitches apart from Karachi, where Pakistan won. Greg Chappell scored a double century at Faisalabad and so did Taslim Arif for Pakistan. Denis Lille took only one wicket on that tour! A worse advertisement for test cricket was hard to imagine.

The series against the West Indies was a little better but this series was lost by Pakistan. Then Pakistan toured Australia. Pakistan lost 2-1 but it was notable that Pakistan had been able to notch up the test win on Australian soil. But the tour will be remembered for something else. When the team returned, the senior players refused to play under Javed Miandad. Playerpower had struck. The Cricket Board caved in and Imran Khan was appointed captain. Thus began the reign of Imran, born of a mutiny. Imran Khan remained the undisputed king till 1992, and it was Pakistan cricket's golden period.

The 80's
Imran Khan has been described as an authoritarian. It is true that he demanded and got his own team and selection committees all but became redundant. But he got results and no one could have accused him of being anything but fair minded. He believed in winning and was not afraid to lose. He wanted what he considered the best team. He even sacked Majid Khan, his cousin, from the team believing that the majestic batsman was past his prime. He took the Pakistan team to England in 1982, lost the series 2-1, but not without a tremendous fight that saw Pakistan win the test match at Lord’s in which Mohsin Khan scored a double century and Imran himself showed his development as an all-rounder. The lesson had been learnt. Pakistan was not to lose another test series against England, either in England or at home. Imran set about restructuring the Pakistan team. He was not afraid of raw and inexperienced youngsters and throwing them in the deep end. He believed in 'on the job training'.

In 1982-83 Kim Hughes brought the Australians and they were thrashed three-nil and then came India with Sunil Gavaskar as captain. It was Imran's first real test and he came off with flying colours. Pakistan decimated India, winning the series three-nil. Imran's own contribution with both ball and bat was outstanding but he had to play a heavy price. He ended up with a stress fracture of the shin. His bowling days were over for a while. Although he would bowl again, he realised that he needed to concentrate on his batting to justify his place in the team.
Imran captained Pakistan in the World Cup in England in 1983 but did not bowl. He skipped Pakistan's tour of India in 1983-84 and Zaheer Abbas captained the team and did well enough to draw all the tests. Imran was back to take Pakistan to Australia but did not play in the first three test matches, still nursing his stress-fractured shin but he played in the last two test matches as a batsman and came close to scoring a century at Melbourne. The captaincy alternated between Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad.

Meanwhile, one-day internationals had become a regular feature of cricket and when cricket came to the desert in Sharjah U. A. E., Pakistan and India met regularly before highly partisan expatriates crowds. But the cricket provided thrills and not more than Javed Miandad’s last ball six against India that won Pakistan the match and drove the Pakistani fans into euphoria. It is possibly the best remembered six in cricket history and the most rewarding one financially for Javed Miandad.

Imran Khan had three personal milestones in mind. He wanted to beat India in India, win the series against England in England and to win the World Cup. He set about these tasks with single-mindedness. Pakistan toured India in early 1987. Imran had been restored to full physical fitness. He was now joined by Wasim Akram as his new ball partner. Wasim Akram was at the start of a career that would blossom and he would become the most lethal left-arm fast bowler in the history of the modern game. Imran was not a captain who was afraid to lose and Pakistan played attractive, attacking cricket but the first four test matches were drawn. The wickets prepared were not result oriented. For the last test match at Bangalore, the hosts gambled on an underprepared wicket hoping that their spinners would make the difference. As it turned out it was the Pakistani spinners, Iqbal Qasim and Tauseef Ahmed would did the job for Pakistan. The ball was spinning like a top and from the first morning, the bounce was uneven and it was a wicket totally unsuitable for a test match. The Indian gamble had misfired and Pakistan won the match and the series. The one-day internationals were easily won by Pakistan and the team returned home in triumph. Imran's stock was sky high.

The team then went to England and there was noticeable tension between the teams, and the English media were nastier than usual. It was obvious that it was not going to be an easy tour. The first two tests were drawn mainly because of rain but the sun was shining at Headingley and England won the toss and decided to bat on a wicket that had pace and bounce and a great deal of seam movement. Imran struck immediately and by lunch Pakistan had seized control of the match. It was a control they were not going to let go off. Pakistan bowled out England for 134 and at one stage for 31 for 5. The Pakistani fast bowlers, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Mohsin Kamal were on a rampage, getting three wickets each. Pakistan went on to make 353. Salim Malik made 99. It was a commanding lead and Imran was in his element as he ripped through England taking seven wickets for 40. Pakistan won by an innings and 18 runs. England had been outplayed.
In the final test at The Oval, Pakistan batted for 2 1/2 days, making 708 with Javed Miandad scoring 260 and Salim Malik 102, while Imran helped himself to a blistering 118. It was a huge total and England folded up, this time to spin and were bowled out for 240. Abdul Qadir, the leg spinner, a magician and the world's best, taking seven for 96. England followed on but helped by some dour batting and a few dropped catches were able to hold out for draw. Imran had reached two of the milestones.

Pakistan and India jointly hosted the World Cup later that year and were, of course to meet in the final at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. But both teams tripped up in the semifinals. Before a packed Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, a confident, some think an overconfident, Pakistan took on Australia. It was a semi-final that Pakistan should have won but did not, losing by 18 runs and the stunned crowd made their way home and Imran's hopes were dashed - for the time being.

England stayed behind to tour Pakistan, a tour whose memory will live in infamy. Still smarting from the series lost in England, it was apparent that there was no love lost between the two teams. Pakistan won the first test match at Lahore amidst mutterings from the English about poor umpiring. but it was during the second test match at Faisalabad that the tension boiled over. In what came to be known as the Shakoor Rana-Mike Gatting slanging match, there was a hot exchange and much finger-wagging between the umpire and the England captain. Play was suspended the next day because of prolonged parleys centred around the demand by umpire Shakoor Rana for an unconditional apology from Mike Gatting. The visiting media had a field day as they tried to dowse the fire with petrol! The apology was finally given and play was resumed and the tour continued. It is pertinent to note that no England team has toured Pakistan since, so there was no forgiving and forgetting from England's side.

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The 90's

Imran Khan had announced his retirement but was persuaded at the highest level to take his decision back. Pakistan toured the West Indies under his captaincy and drew the series which they should have won but for some poor umpiring.

The stage was now set for the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Some old timers like Abdul Qadir and Mudassar Nazar had retired, some new players had entered the stage, none more promising then Waqar Yunus, a fast bowler from an obscure town in the Punjab called Burewalla. He would make a huge impact in a matter of the year.
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For the 1992 World Cup, Imran had discovered the young, burly batsman from Multan called Inzamamul Haq. In Imran's judgment, Inzamam had it in him to win the World Cup for Pakistan.
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But the nucleus of the team was built around the old stalwarts:
Imran himself, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, and Salim Malik.
Pakistan got off to a disastrous start, losing to the West Indies, India and South Africa but lucky to have salvaged a point in the match against England which was abandoned because of rain. When Pakistan arrived in Perth, it needed to win every match henceforth to make it to the finals. This Pakistan duly did, beating Australia and Sri Lanka and then New Zealand at Christchurch. Pakistan, against all odds found itself in the semifinals, to play New Zealand at Auckland. This semi-final turned out to be the most thrilling match of the World Cup. Played before a capacity crowd, in an atmosphere of utmost seriousness for the stakes were not only high but the highest. New Zealand made 262 setting Pakistan a stiff target of over five runs an over. Pakistan responded but lost wickets and when Inzamam joined Javed Miandad Pakistan needed to make 122 in 14 overs, an asking rate of more than 8 runs an over. Pakistan needed a miracle and it was provided by Inzamam who hammered 67 off only 37 balls, an innings of savage power hitting. Pakistan won.

The final against England, played under floodlights at the Melbourne Cricket ground before 86,000 people, was something of an anticlimax. Fired up by their spectacular win at Auckland, Pakistan made 249 and dismissed England for 227, Wasim Akram taking 3 for 49, two of the wickets in successive deliveries, those of Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis that broke the back of England's batting.

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Throughout the World Cup, Imran Khan was nursing a serious shoulder injury and had to have cortisone injections to relieve the pain. Yet, Imran Khan played on with courage, leading the team with inspiring personal example. He said before the start of the World Cup that he would be returning home with the trophy. He kept faith in himself and Pakistan's Cricket public. It was his finest hour and the right moment to retire.
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Javed Miandad led Pakistan to England and it was an acrimonious tour with the English media accusing Pakistan fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Yunus of sharp practices namely tampering with the ball to get it to swing when it was old. There was not a scrap of truth in the allegations and was a poor excuse for losing the series. Pakistan cricket was now on a roll.

Pakistan cricket is inherently strife ridden and is periodically rocked by revolts. After Miandad, Wasim Akram was appointed Captain but found the team members unwilling to play under his captaincy. When the team was to tour New Zealand, Salim Malik took over, only to lose the captaincy in the wake of allegations made about betting and match fixing.

Yet it is quite remarkable that these periodic jolts have never affected the performance of the Pakistan team. It is equally remarkable that despite the absence of any kind of infrastructure Pakistan keeps finding top-quality players. Nothing better reflects this than the case of Hasan Raza, a Karachi schoolboy who made his test debut at the age of 14 years and 227 days, the youngest ever to play. There are other young cricketers who are in their early 20s and are considered stars. By comparison, Saeed Anwar is a veteran, though arguably the best opening batsman in cricket.

Pakistan continues to keep faith in its young cricketers and continues to find them. The nursery still remains the streets and alleys and vacant plots and rooftops but so long as cricket remains a passion, the pipeline will not dry up. The story of Pakistan cricket is all the more remarkable in that it has achieved so much on just natural talent. Perhaps, it is just as well that there is no meddling. An acorn will grow into a sturdy oak on its own. All it needs is sunlight and water.

Credits: Excerpts from Omar Qureshi's work with some modifications from yours truly.

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Awesome read,lots of things I didn’t know. :k:

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TNC, thanks man. meri saari mehnet aik banday kay parhnay say vasool ho gaee.

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Good work FG. I haven't read it yet and will do so at night.

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Excellente! worth more than the time to read!

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Amazing history of Pakistan cricket team. Good job, funguy!:k:

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by funguy: *

Javed Miandad led Pakistan to England and it was an acrimonious tour with the English media accusing Pakistan fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Yunus of sharp practices namely tampering with the ball to get it to swing when it was old. There was not a scrap of truth in the allegations and was a poor excuse for losing the series. Pakistan cricket was now on a roll.

[/QUOTE]

It was pure jealousy on part of the British media and this was the famous tour when the "British umpires, the best in the world" posters were produced in Pakistan. That was after an incidence where Graham Gooch was run out by a mile and the umpire gave him not out. A throw back to the Shakoor Rana affairs. Coming back to the reverse swing the jealousy of the W's reverse swing reached such proportions that the balls used by the Pakistani team were sent to Oxford and Cambridge Uni's for analysis. It also led to the saga, lateron, which resulted in the court case between Imran on the one hand and Botham and Lamb on the other.

There was however, one sane voice, that of Geoff Boycott who said at the height of the controversies "Pakistan would have beaten England even if they were bowling with oranges".

The hypocrisy of the Brisitsh media was unbelievable that when the same reverse swing was practised by Gough a few years later it was called "art".

More comments later on.

Wonderful effort FG

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by funguy: *
TNC, thanks man. meri saari mehnet aik banday kay parhnay say vasool ho gaee.
[/QUOTE]

Haan,ab shayad Mod bana hi dein. :p

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^ I did it for two reasons - I love the sport and it was just appropriate considering August 14th is right around the corner.

Actually, there is a third and most important reason. She asked me to.

:blush:

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bh**ch*d British Media :mad3:
^ is from the whole Pakistani nation for idiotic and biased journalisim.

I remember all that drama as I was following every moment of that tour in newspapers and ‘The Cricketr’.

Thank FG…tera zindagi ka pehla naik kaam hai ye :elmo:

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Good stuff. I am going to print it out, it definitely makes a good toilet read.

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Warning: Please do not deposit any items other than soft tissue paper in toilets. Not following this instruction may cause a strong suction upon flush and might suck your balls along with it.

PS. sorry for the discourse but me being me, I can't resist derailing my own threads.

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Speak for yourself FG. I am still in possession of my balls :D

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Oxford dictionary defines 'in possession' as holding it in one's hands.

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lolol…possession meaning holding it in ones hands…lol :D…:rotfl: gud one

thnx FG that was nice compilation the history of Pak Cricket…but u didn’t include the dark ages of pakistan cricket…2002-2004

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Excellent Read. Posts like these make it worth coming here.

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nice read :k: