>

Pakistan’s original rock star cricketer, Fazal Mahmood

  • Alien
  • Topic Author
  • Visitor
  • Visitor
12 Dec 2016 10:09 #328879 by Alien
Pakistan’s original rock star cricketer, Fazal Mahmood, destroyed the first Australian side to tour the country
DECEMBER 12, 20166:17PM


Robert Craddock
The Courier-Mail

IF Australia’s batsman find the pink ball gives them red faces at the Gabba this week here’s a slice of history that proves it could have been worse.
Old-time Australian players reckon there is only one thing worse than being wrestled on to the mat – that’s having to play on one.
This week’s Pakistan Test at the Gabba represents the 60th anniversary of the first Test between the two nations, at Karachi, in the summer of 1966-67 which Richie Benaud’s Australia’s agreed to stop in for a one-off Test on the way home from England but probably wished they hadn’t.

Fazal Mahmood, a local police inspector with a devilish ability to cut the ball both ways, seamed the ball up to 20cms on the coir matting wicket which was fastened over the local wicket block.
Australia, surviving on a diet mostly of eggs, chips, bananas, dry toast and black coffee, were bowled out for 80 and 187 and lost by nine wickets, with Fazal and his opening bowler Khan Mohammad bowling unchanged for 53 overs in the tortuously slow first innings.

There were whispers of the matting being tightened – and consequently playing truer – when Pakistan batted, and stones slipped under it when Australia batted.
But one thing no-one had any doubt about was the prowess of the debonair Fazal whose mastery was such the matting was dubbed his magic carpet as he claimed the wickets of Australian greats Keith Miller and Neil Harvey.
“Fazal was tremendous on the mat,’’ said Australian all-rounder Alan Davidson, who will be in Brisbane for the opening says of the pink-ball Test this week.
“He was dynamite. He could cut the ball either way and it went enormously. I could imagine him being equally as dangerous on an English pitch.’’

Long before Pakistani bowlers like Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi became rock star figures the tall, debonair, green-eyed, floppy fringed Fazal Mahmood was both a hero and hearthrob.
“He was an impressive figure, Magnificently built bloke. He had the air of the superintendent of police. He was an inspirational sort of fellow,” Davidson said.

“I was brought up on mats and I knew how you could make it better for the bowler and better for the batsmen. It was not hard to move the pegs.’’
“There were cities of tents. I can remember the camel dung fires. They made us feel really welcome but it was not easy for them and I felt sorry for them.’’
Australia returned to play eight Test matches in India and Pakistan in 77 days three years later and victories in both series remain one of the most underestimated achievements in Australian cricket history.
“It was actually good for us as a team because we had to acknowledge that other people were far worse off than we were,’’ Davidson said.

“When we played a Test match in Lahore, the Pakistan team stayed in a hotel in Lahore and we stayed in an army camp. We slept in tents in the desert. We had lamps going all night which was great because I could hear things scurrying around outside. They may have been centipedes.
“As much as it was challenging, it helped to bind out team. They gave us a stronger will to win and proved that we could do it.’’
Originally published as The mystical seamer who tamed Richie’s tourists

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Alien
  • Topic Author
  • Visitor
  • Visitor
12 Dec 2016 10:10 #328880 by Alien


Pakistan has always had good players , but corruption destroys them.. ::confused::

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.181 seconds
LillieTo the man who united West Indies like no other, remembering Sir Frank Worrell on his birth anniversary ??

#RoyalsFamily
(02.08.2025, 16:32)(16:32)0
RobertIt looks like another whitewash is in the making for West Indies.(01.08.2025, 09:13)(09:13)0
ChristinaThe ICC should remove the West Indies from participating in International Cricket ?
No Cricketing Nation should be embarrassed.
(01.08.2025, 06:39)(06:39)0
JayleeToll-free travel across Wismar, Berbice, Demerara bridges from midnight!(31.07.2025, 20:24)(20:24)0
JayleeAnother party accuses WIN of being duplicitous, stealing its ideas(31.07.2025, 20:24)(20:24)0
ChristinaI get the feeling that the players don't wish to play for Sammy(26.07.2025, 09:20)(09:20)0
QuintinSad day?? Lol. How many T20I matches russell played regularly for wi cricket? Even in the last T20 series tour in eng he was in the squad but he played only 1 match out of 3. Lol sad day(19.07.2025, 19:44)(19:44)0
ChristinaIt is time for a full evaluation and accountability to the people of this region for the disastrous batting performance of the West Indies Cricket Team. We cannot disregard what all of us witnessed and endured in the last three test matches. This is not about our players, administrators, or any individual; it is an entire system that is failing, and together, all of us must fix it now. This cannot continue into another series; we must not allow it to.(15.07.2025, 15:52)(15:52)0
ChristinaOnce again for the 5th consecutive times . West Indies has bowled out Australia(the #1 team )
within 90 overs.
Again under 300 runs
(13.07.2025, 08:10)(08:10)0
ChristinaWiaan Mulder declaring with himself being 367 not out, is beyond commendable and sportsmanship. Tho many questions will be asked.(07.07.2025, 10:06)(10:06)0
IngridHow bad are the West Indies ?
Their batting is absolutely abysmal
(06.07.2025, 16:36)(16:36)0
QuintinMexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. arrested by ICE for deportation, federal officials say(03.07.2025, 19:05)(19:05)0
QuintinKraigg Brathwaite reaches 100 Tests: 'I was in total disbelief that I could score a hundred for West Indies'(03.07.2025, 18:52)(18:52)0
LoganBad performance by west indies(28.06.2025, 06:48)(06:48)0
QuintinMasai Ujiri fired as Raptors president and vice chairman after 13 years with franchise(27.06.2025, 17:50)(17:50)0
LoganAustralia 180 all out(26.06.2025, 06:45)(06:45)0
Logan99 for 3(25.06.2025, 13:21)(13:21)0
LoganShammar 2 wickets(25.06.2025, 12:13)(12:13)0
Logan65 for 3 at lunch(25.06.2025, 12:12)(12:12)0
WendyDid you know 160 years ago, Texans moved to Brazil to start a Confederate colony with Slavery, after #Juneteenth? ?(24.06.2025, 09:55)(09:55)0
WendyGood morning(24.06.2025, 09:29)(09:29)0
MelodyVaughan 'staggered' by England's bowl-first decision as India dominate at Headingley(20.06.2025, 19:19)(19:19)0
chairmanPPP/C is UNSTOPPABLE….
So all de small parties coming together to try beat the PPP/C
Guyanese don’t be fooled
Vote for Peace Progress and Prosperity.
(19.06.2025, 07:51)(07:51)0
PeytonCOACH SAMMY TO MISS IRELAND T20Is(05.06.2025, 18:49)(18:49)0
ketchimJune 1st 2ndODI : replace the 4 guys on the bench : Evin Lewis, John Campbell, Shamar Joseph and Jediah Blades !(31.05.2025, 15:09)(15:09)0
chairmanHuge defeat(29.05.2025, 19:07)(19:07)0
chairmanMatthew Forde you beauty. I didn't even realise he averages almost 40 in FC. And he is only 23 yrs old.(23.05.2025, 20:05)(20:05)0
chairmanWelcome to Guyana - Hakeem Olajuwon, also known as "The Dream,"
A storied career:

- 2x NBA Champion (1994, 1995)
- 2x NBA Finals MVP (1994, 1995)
- 12x NBA All-Star
- 12x All-NBA Team selection
- 9x NBA All-Defensive First Team
- NBA MVP (1994)
- NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1994)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (1984)
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008

One of the greatest players in NBA history.
(23.05.2025, 10:05)(10:05)0
chairmanI would like to see every house in Essequibo has a Guyana ?? Flag
and possibly the Rest of Guyana ??
(19.05.2025, 06:38)(06:38)0
PeytonSevere weather leaves at least 27 dead, including 18 in Kentucky(17.05.2025, 18:46)(18:46)0
chairmanCongratulations to the newly appointed Roston Chase as West Indies Test captain.
Does he have any captain/ leadership experience?
Your thoughts:
(16.05.2025, 19:23)(19:23)0
TalonDozens of white South Africans arrive in US under Trump refugee plan(12.05.2025, 19:57)(19:57)0
BryantRomario Shepherd hits the FATEST FIFTY for any batter in RCB colours!
Second fastest fifty in the history of the IPL.
(03.05.2025, 15:16)(15:16)0
JamisonTrump celebrates the Super Bowl champ Eagles at White House(30.04.2025, 18:26)(18:26)0
JamisonUNC’s Belichick defends Hudson as ‘doing her job’ after interjecting during CBS interview(30.04.2025, 18:25)(18:25)0
JamisonHundreds of scholars say U.S. is swiftly heading toward authoritarianism(22.04.2025, 18:58)(18:58)0
JamisonGunmen break into former Seahawks player Richard Sherman's home with family inside(01.04.2025, 18:34)(18:34)0
JamisonRichard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series “Dr. Kildare” who found a second career as an award-winning “king of the miniseries,” has died. He was 90.(30.03.2025, 10:58)(10:58)0
BridgerWest Indies cricket team official website(23.03.2025, 00:23)(00:23)0
LyricUnfortunately, after spending 9 months in space, looking over the entire earth, the two Astronauts failed to locate APNU/AFC SOPs.(18.03.2025, 22:04)(22:04)0
LyricThe hour we lost was the one when I was planning to go to the gym(11.03.2025, 17:59)(17:59)0
GianniWest Indies latest Test match scorecard(11.03.2025, 11:34)(11:34)0
ScarletSteven Smith South Africa cricket(10.03.2025, 12:11)(12:11)0
ketchimCanada get new Prime Minister : Edmonton Mark Carney !(09.03.2025, 20:51)(20:51)0
ConnerDr. Ashni Singh quote on government's stance on corrupt practices(08.03.2025, 16:12)(16:12)0
LyricGuy scored 368 bowl out Jam for 44 & didn't enforce the follow-on? That's bull crap(07.03.2025, 09:37)(09:37)0
LyricYesterday, my wife thought she saw a cockroach in the kitchen. She sprayed everything down and cleaned thoroughly.
Today I'm putting the cockroach in the bathroom.
(06.03.2025, 17:19)(17:19)0
ShilohU.S. says consequences for Maduro regime if provocation continues(02.03.2025, 08:56)(08:56)0
Shiloh–Guyana stands firmly against Venezuela’s incursion(02.03.2025, 08:56)(08:56)0
PatienceCongratulations to Trinidadian, Jason Mohammed on an outstanding achievement—three consecutive first class centuries!
• 176 against CCC
• 103 against Windward Islands
• An unbeaten 204 against Leeward Islands
(15.02.2025, 21:22)(21:22)0
Kali
Go to top