Mahmood responsible for Pakistan gaining Test status

By A. C. de Silva

CRICKET: The tall medium-pacer from Pakistan - Fazal Mahmood is no more, but the deeds that he has performed during his 78 year career in the game, will speak for itself. He died in May 2005 in Lahore, but before he left the world, he had established himself as a fine pace bowler and took 139 wickets in 34 Tests between 1952-53 and 1962.

He played in Pakistan’s inaugural Test against India at Delhi in October 1952 and produced figures of 12 for 94 at Lucknow in the second match to secure Pakistan’s first-ever Test victory.

He was the man, experts would vouch, who had hastened Pakistan’s success in attaining Test status. He was also the bowler who brought down the might of England in its own land, for Pakistan’s first Test victory over the Englishmen.

It was a success at the Oval in 1954 that made Fazal Mahmood instantly a national hero and brought a national holiday back home.

Fazal Mahmood is one of the gems that Pakistan gave to the world of cricket in its very first decade of earning Test recognition.

In that game, Fazal took 12 wickets in a thrilling series levelling victory.

His second innings figures of 6 for 46 included the prize scalps of Peter May and Dennis Compton, as England slumped from 109 for 2 wickets to 143 all out, to lose by a mere 24 runs.

That performance earned him the accolade of being one of Wisden’s Five cricketers of the year in 1955.

Solid in build, the striking green-eyed Fazal Mahmood was the most successful right-arm fast medium pace bowler produced by Pakistan before the 70s. ‘Master of leg-cutters’, Fazal was unmatched on matting wicket and equally devastating on grass. Many referred to him as the Alec Bodser of Pakistan for the distinct similarity in their methods. Both were masters of nagging, persistent length and concentrated on swing and a mixture of leg cutters and breakbacks.

Windies lose

Then in March 1959 in Dacca (now called Dhaka after East Pakistan became Bangladesh), he bowled West Indies to defeat with a splendid performance by capturing 12 wickets for 100 runs. Maintaining a nagging length and concentrating on varied swing and a mixture of leg-cutters, he routed West Indies for 76 in the first innings and 172 in the second innings when they required 214 runs victory.

The West Indies had arrived in Pakistan after convincingly beating India 3-0 (2 Tests drawn) in a five-Test series played in India. They ran into trouble in the first Test at Karachi against Fazal Mahmood - who was Pakistan’s new captain. Fazal took six wickets in the match and the West Indies lost by 10 wickets on the matting wicket.

At Dacca in the second Test played from March 6 to 8 in 1959, Pakistan won by 41 runs inside three days and thus took the three-match rubber for the first only time against the West Indies.

Fazal Mahmood captained Pakistan and F.C.M. Alexander was the West Indies captain.

WEST INDIES - 1ST INNINGS
R. B. Kanhai c Wazir Mohammad  b Fazal Mahmood 		 4
J. K. Holt b Fazal Mahmood				 4
Gary Sobers lbw b Fazal Mahmood				29
F. C. M. Alexander st Imitiaz Ahmed  b Nasim-u-Ghani	14
B. F. Butcher c Shuja-ud-Din  b Fazal Mahmood		11
O. G. Smith c Nasim-ul-Ghani  b Fazal Mahmood		 0
J. S. Solomon c Imitiaz Ahmed  b Nasim-ul-Ghani		 0
E. St. E. Atkinzon c Wallis Mathias b Fazal Mahmood	 0
L. R. Gibbs st. Imitiaz Ahmed  b Nasim-ul-Ghani		 0
W. W. Hall c Hasib Ahsan b Fazal Mahmood		 0
S. Ramadhin not out					 0
EXTRAS (B-5, LB-3, NB-6)				14
TOTAL:	76
FALL OF WICKETS: 4, 19, 56, 65, 68, 71, 72, 74, 74, 76.
BOWLING: Fazal Mahmood 18.4-9-34-6, Mahmood Hussein 10-1-21-1, 
Hasib Ahsan 1-0-3-0, Nazim-ul-Ghani 7-5-4-3.

(Ijas Butt 21, Saeed Ahmed 22, Wallis Mathias 45, Wesley Hall 4 for 49, E. St. E. Atkins 4 for 42, S. Ramadhin 2 for 10).

WEST INDIES - 2ND INNINGS: 172

(Gary Sobers 45, O. G. Smith 39, E. St. E. Atkinson 20, Fazal Mahmood 27-10-66-6, Mahmood Hussein 4 for 48).

Lowest Innings total in Tests

(for other countries)

upto 1983

26: New Zealand vs England (Auckland) 1954-55

30: South Africa vs England (Port Elizabeth) 1885

30: South Africa vs England (Birmingham) 1924

36: Australia vs England (Birmingham) 1902

42: India vs England (Lord’s) 1974

45: England vs Australia (Sydney) 1886-87

62: Pakistan vs Australia (Perth) 1981-82

93: Sri Lanka vs New Zealand (Wellington) 1982-83

Unique achievements

As a bowler, fielder or batsman, Fazal has a spate of unique achievements to enrich any record books. He owned more praise than any other Pakistan cricketer from both his own and foreign press and, from knowledgeable critics the game has known. No other Pakistan cricketer has had such tributes paid to him by every cricketing giant any country has produced.

Even the Queen and Prince Philip broke protocol to commend Fazal personally when he steered Pakistan to her first Test victory against England at the Oval in 1954. Whatever Fazal has done and achieved for cricket, the stamp of meticulous care and planning is evident.

As a skipper he held the scales even and meted out justice to every teammate. As a bowler he was able to shatter the stumps of the greatest batsman, who had to meet him, he laboured relentlessly employing his guiles till he achieved his object.

As a fielder, he was fearless with his agility and safe hands he would dart like a panther and bring off spectacular saves and catches that have driven cricket enthusiasts crazy.

As a batsman, he had the correct temperament. His stay at the wicket was always memorable. His play was exquisite. He would weild the willow as he did the fairy her magic wand with benefiting grace that made ever exuberant spectators storm the field.

He was a Deputy Inspector General of Police in the Punjab

Aussies beaten

Back in Pakistan, Fazal’s bowling arm was to bring further laurels and another famous victory - this time over Australia in Karachi in 1956. His contribution was 13 for 114 in 75 long overs.

Against the West Indians, he had had limited success with the ball. But his Test highest (60) with the bat was against the West Indians at Port-of-Spain. From 1958,59 to 1960-61, the mantle of captaincy fell on his shoulders, from A. H. Kardar, for a period of 10 Tests against the West Indies, Australia and India. Two wins, two losses featured this phase.

Like all good things, the bright career had to fade out. He was stopped from the captaincy after the five Test series against India had ended in draws, he also lost the penetration with the ball and criticised on that count.