From Lancaster Park, Christchurch, on February 11, 1973 till National Stadium, Karachi, on 4 July 2008 Team Pakistan have appeared in 687 One Day Internationals same as those of Aussies and just a whisker shy of India’s 696 – this add up is and will change multiple hands between them for a while to come unless they bury ODIs which I am adamant would not happen.
In 35 years of razzmatazz of Team Pakistan & ODIs, 171 players have embraced the National Color in this form of the game – that reached its nadir in late 80’s and 90’s.However, all but 20 of them didn’t succeeded in witnessing a second National dawn in the field of One Day International Cricket. Those 20 are also the heart and soul of this piece. Let’s analyze,
Till date there have been Twenty (1) One-Day wonderments.
Nasim-ul-Ghani verses New Zealand (1973) -Slow left-armer!
Unarguably, the most famous Pakistani 1 One Day wonder and in that regard also shares the satire with no other than Sir Garfield Sobers.Nasim was a permanent member of the Team of Dull Sixties.
As Kamran Abbasi for cricinfo© profiles him:
“A bowler who never fulfilled his early promise, partly through his own failings and partly because of unfair selection. Nasim-ul-Ghani was the youngest Test cricketer at the time when he made his debut against West Indies, at only 16. His career started well but rapidly tailed off. Primarily a left-arm spinner, he could also bowl medium-pace. Flight was his main weapon. Nasim was a versatile batsman too: he opened the batting for Pakistan and also came in at No. 11. His batting ability was revealed when he came in as a nightwatchman at Lord's in 1962 and struck a century - the first by a Pakistani in England. He was assistant manager on Pakistan's 1996 tour of England. He has since had a spell as a national selector, an ICC development officer in South Asia, and a match referee.”
Ghani made his debut on the Carribean Tour of 1957-58, some 15 years before Pakistan made their entrance into the shorter version of the game. Therefore, it was theoretical that he was in the utter twilight of his career when handed an ODI Cap at Lancaster Park where he debuted with the rest of the XI. In a rather muted way he scored an eight ball 1 at #7 and was never called onto ball in the first half of the inning when Sarfaraz and rest controlled the Kiwis pretty well who though, eventually won by 22 runs.
Ghani was out of favor immediately afterwards.
Naeem Ahmed – verses England (1978) -Slow Left Armer!
One of those lucky ones i.e. Hasan Jamil, Liaqat Ali & Aamer Hameed etc... Who sneak into the National Team courtesy of a ban on Packerstanies & boarded the plane to The Great Britain in the absence of Imran Khan, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Musthaq Muhammad and Asif Iqbal. Though, on paper Naeem Ahmed barely merited his inclusion with a career accumulation of 202 wickets at an ordinary purchase of 39.43, and a wicket every 63rd delivery sustained in 10 seasons of Domestic cricket before the England Tour.
Pakistan after losing the first of 2-ODIs Prudential Trophy, replaced Iqbal Qasim with Naeem Ahmed, a twirler from the same school at Kennington Oval, London on May 26, 1978. The poor lad toiled along a basically weak attack – coming as 3rd change and bowling 10 overs for 43 without any threat as David Gower announced himself onto the International scene with a silkily swift inning of 114 at a SR of 93.xx in those novice days of shorter version of the game.
Curtains were immediately drawn on his International strides once the ill-fated tour was over.
Saleem Pervez - verses West Indies (1980) -Right Hand Opener!
Lahore-born opener who labored in representative cricket for no less than 22 years was strictly past his prime when handed a chance to shone at the ripe old of 33, at Lahore against the touring Caribbean Juggernauts. Though, before making his debut he only managed a handful of List A appearances and was primarily selected on the basis of his sound FC record that readed well above 4000 runs at 37.x in 13 years of FC cricket preceding his first, last and only ODI.
Pakistan, after losing the One Day Series engineered few changes and for the dead rubber on December 19, 1980 handed caps to Ijaz Faqih, Rashid Khan, Tahir Naqqash and Saleem Pervez. Miandad won the toss and put WI into bat, who in their allotted 40 overs set the home team a target of 4.27 per over to win. A formidable target in those days coupled with the misery caused by the quartet of Clarke, Croft, Garner and Marshall. Pervez, debuting at his home ground started the innings cautiously with Taslim Arif, also appearing in his debut series and garnered an opening partnership of 44 runs before that garnering was cut short by J. Garner who not only got Saleem Pervez's wicket but also sent him back to the Pavilion for ever...
For the records Pakistan lost by mere 7 runs.
Masood Iqbal verses New Zealand (1984)
– Wicketkeeper!
Sufferers of Bari’s longevity who when played his solitary ODI was few months shy of his 33rd spring. Sadly, the above-noted cricketer demised 5 years ago, and his obituary – published by Wisden© and quoted by author is as following:
Masood Iqbal Qureshi died from kidney failure on October 31, 2003, aged 51. Known to his contemporaries as "Billa", Masood Iqbal was a controversial selection to understudy Wasim Bari as Pakistan's wicket-keeper on their 1972-73 tour of Australia and New Zealand. His batting was negligible, but he was an agile keeper and there were fewer quibbles when he went to England in 1978. "He owned the sweetest sense of timing - that was the key to his wicket-keeping," said Dr Nauman Niaz, a former cricket analyst for the PCB. By the time he played his only one-day international, though, against New Zealand at Multan in 1984- 85, he was past his best and gave away 18 byes in 35 overs. Two years later he retired after 17 years of first-class cricket for Lahore teams and for Habib Bank, where he continued to work on completing his MBA. In the 1990s he returned to cricket as an administrator, A-team tour manager, referee and selector. In 2000 he was appointed a PCB groundsman.
Shakeel Khan – verses England (1987) -Pacer!
Anand Vasu for cricinfo© profiles him as, "Tall and strong, Shakeel Khan bowled brisk medium pace for Habib Bank and was called up to play a solitary one-day international for Pakistan when Wasim Akram was injured in 1987. He played against England at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar on November 22, 1987, and claimed the wicket of Chris Broad, clean bowled, in a nine-over spell that yielded 50 runs. He made a duck batting last as Pakistan collapsed to a 98-run loss. He was never picked to play for Pakistan again, but is still very much involved in cricket as a part of the media cell of the Pakistan Cricket Board".
Statistically, he took 258 wickets domestically in 13 Seasons.
Maqsood Rana verses Australia (1990) -Pacer!
Son of Shakoor Rana (who stood in 40 Internationals), younger brother of Mansoor Rana (who did better than the younger one by managing 2 ODI caps) and nephew of Shafqat & Azmat Rana (Test
Cricketers) never really came out of the debris of above stated names.
He made to the Touring Party to Australia, solely on Youth Cricket potential (experience of 3 FC) games and possibly unperceptible networking that handed him debut againt Australia in Pakistan’s 2nd League Game of B&H Cupb, on 3rd day of 1990 scoring 5 at #10 and came in first change to Wasim & Aaqib - only to be replaced by Nadeem Ghauri after 2 overs because Team was defending a meager target and were in need of wickets which didn’t came as desired, Pakistan lose and Rana was convieniently overlooked for the rest of the League and Final fixtures.
Maqsood Rana never wore National Blazer again. Though appeared domestically for a whole succeeding decade representing National Bank of Pakistan & Regional teams, however, inconsistently.
Tanvir Mehdi – verses England (1992) – Pacer!
Lanky & skidy Lahore born Tanvir Mehdi on the back of an impressive 1991-92 domestic season, 45 wickets at 25.x was included onto the plane to the British Isles in the summer of 1992. After a couple of first class games & list A appearances’ against Sussex where he took 2/48 & 1/13 was handed ODI Cap at The Foster's Oval, Kennington, London on May 22, 1992, more so because of the absence of Wasim Akram (with a stress fracture of the left shin) and Waqar Younis (back trouble). Tanvir Mehdi, coming in as first change to Aaqib Javed & Naved Anjum had a nightmare of a game, conceding 72 off 11 mandatory overs for a solitary wicket of Neil Fairbrother – 5th most expensive ODI analysis for a Pakistani bowler by that time!
The Lahore born quitted cricket altogether merely 18 months after his ODI debut, an age when an Englishman is getting ahead from Academy to 2nd Division of County Cricket.
Irfan Bhatti – verses Zimbabwe (1993) -Medium Pacer!
After acclaiming Test Status Zimbabwe made their first ever Tour to Pakistan in the dusk of 1993, Unpredictable as they are Team Pakistan in spite of winning both Test & ODI series were rough and at times shoddy in their display on the field.
In came the dead ODI rubber at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on December 27, 1993 and one military medium-pacer made his debut totally out of blue – namely Irfan Ahsan Kaleem Bhatti from Peshawar. An ordinary medium pacer who up to his only International fixture have managed to appear in all of 18 domestic fixtures claiming mere 19 wickets in 4 Seasons. Though, in the on-going 1993-94 Season he was one of the better performers with 14 wickets at 14.x in seven List A appearance that probably earned him an International cap to savor; in a dead game where nothing except National Pride of losing to an utter minnow was at stake. It is also noteworthy to mention that the debutant also turnout for Bank of Khayber XI just before the ODI against the same opponents with muted figures of none for 54.
On Bhatti’s day in sun he opened the bowling with certain Wasim Akram and surpassed him in that moment by claiming both openers and ended the day with the satisfaction that he had the best figures for a seamer on either side: 8-0-22-2 Nonetheless, with Pakistan blessed with a barrage of speedsters it was nigh to impossible for the Peshawarite to get another game under his belt. Later, he mentored a much more complete and celebrated player a-la Azhar Mehmood Sagar!
Javed Qadeer & Mehmood Hamid verses Sri Lanka (1995) - Wicket-Keeper & Right-hand batter!
1995 is a year utterly marred with controversies ranging from players revolts; powerful lobbying, match-fixing and you name it! Therefore, when the team for The 5th Asia Cup was announced, it ushered a bundle of surprises for all and sundry to ponder - Javed Qadeer was one of them!
Karachi-based and PIA contracted Wicket-Keeper - a product of U-19 cricket was primarily selected on the gut-feeling of the selectors because his FC experience, all of 3 games was not remotely close to being eligible. Although, with Moin Khan captaining the side as well holding the gloves, chances were grim for Qadeer to get a debut. However, former met with Chicken Pox and latter got an International debut - in an important last league game against Sri Lanka, on April 11, 1995. Though, by the time he stepped onto the field for the 1st time - Pakistan, enforced to bat first were all but down and out. Qadeer scored 12 off 23 including a boundary, and that's pretty much one can do at #9.
Pakistan lost the game and were done for the tournament and so was Qadeer’s career... Who in his only International also took the catch of a certain Aravinda de Silva. Nonetheless, it is suffice to say that just like the era of Bari’s sole dominance peak of Rashid/Moin's rivalry too never saw any WK being considered rather more seriously.
Javed Qadeer went on to play domestically for more than a decade after his stint with the National Team but was never considered again, more so because of his ordinary batting skills and global mastery of R.L. & M.K.
In the very same game another Karachiite made his ODI debut for Pakistan, Mehmood Hamid -one of those consistent yet silent domestic batters who because of the euphoria caused by the Youth and Underage stars seldom get a look on. Therefore, when selected for The Asia Cup, Hamid backed his inclusion with a tally of nearly 7000 runs and 13 tons in domestic cricket. However, when the moment to glow came along Hamid met his worst fear - to be a victim of a dismissal not of his own making and being left to forever rue the reality that he was, in his only International inning - ranout out by none other than Big Inzzy!
Mehmood Hamid, alike Javed Qadeer went on to represent domestic outfits for more than 10 Seasons, scoring another 10 centuries at a sustained average of 40. Yet, never got another call!
Shahid Anwar verses England (1996) - Right Hand Opener!
Shahid Anwar, an opener, suffered from the rare stability of Pakistan on opening front – where the duo of Sohail & Anwar rarely let any other batter a serious go in nineties and Shahid Anwar was one of them. Multan-born Shahid made it to the touring party of The Great Britain in 1996 on the back of years of persistence shown on the domestic front that saw his garnering nearly 13,000 runs and 22 tons in no less than 13 Seasons and 250+ representative matches.
Anwar played a mixture of 9 innings on the Tour where he batted at an average of 32.x, including 89 against Leicestershire and was admitted in the final XI of the final, yet dead ODI of the Texaco Trophy on September 01, 1996 - replacing Aamir Sohail. Shahid made better of the opportunity by forging an opening stand of 93 with Saeed Anwar and contributing himself a flowing 37, including six 4’s and a SR of 84 – good enough for a debutant!
Pakistan won the game – courtesy Rashid Latif’s late innings heroics but lost the Series and when embarked onto their next Internatioanl assignment merely couple of weeks after, Shahid was no where to be found and was quickly off the media’s memory too...
Today, he is an accomplished coach, steering Sialkot Stallions to a string of T20 cup victories.
Irfan Fazil verses Sri Lanka (2000) – Pacer!
After being mortified in the 1999-2000 Australian Home Season Pakistani Selectors chopped and changed the National Team by default for the Home Series against visiting Sri Lankans. Continuing with the tradition of thrusting young ones with the big ones by in came Younis Khan, Yasir Arafat, Imran Abbas, Faisal Iqbal and 18 year old Irfan Fazil – the last addition was primarily on potential shown in Youth Cricket and not on any domestic credentials (as age would state).
However, he didn’t make it to the final XI in any of the 3 ODIs; may be because of tasteless figures of 6-0-51-1 against the visitors, for PCB XI. Though, he took 5-120 against the same opponents in a FC game later that escalated him a Test Cap in the dead Test of Karachi, on March 12, 2000. Fazil contributed with peculiar figures of 8-0-65-2 and despite a highly erratic display (8 noballs) was lucky in getting at least one of those wickets. Pakistan retrieved some Pride by winning the Test and for that good omen he was also selected to tour Caribbeans immediately afterward.
Fazil made his ODI debut in last of Pakistan’s League Game on April 16, 2000 against the Hosts, in a Tri Nation competition also involving Zimbabwe. Where after opening the bowling beside Waqar Younis started exactly where he left from Karachi – again bowling waywardly (3 noballs) and all over the wicket (2 Wides) with mustered numbers of 6-0-46-0 meant an effective stop at any more International strides.
The irony was that in the immediately succeeding Season he came to age by snatching 70 FC wickets aided with six 5-fr’s including 13 wickets on a Sri Lankan A tour for not many... Fazil is still active in the domestic circuit but persistent vulnerabilities about the righteousness of his radar have yielded an economy of expensive 4.05 in the FC and 5.39 in the List A face of the game, in 10 Seasons of domestic cricket. An epitome of his only International Caps in Test and ODI...
Kashif Raza – verses Sri Lanka (2001) – Pacer!
From the land of traditional and reverse swing crafter Aaqib Javed, Sheikhupura, came another of potentially the same league and boarded the plane to Sharjah for a Tri Nation Event, also involving Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Kashif Raza earned his call through consistent showing in the 2000-1 domestic season by claiming 73 wickets at mere 19 with a wicket every 6 overs.
Pakistan, after winning their initial two fixtures rested Mohammad Sami and handed the young lad a debut, on April 20, 2001 against Sri Lanka. After setting a tough target of 279 skipper Waqar Younis shared the ball with the domestic star - who after early jitters eventually got the line right and in his 4rth over forced Kaluwitharana to play onto his stumps. However, with Team loaded with All rounders, Raza never got another spell and statistically ended with rather odd figures of 1/36 at 7.20 per over.
Even after half a dozen years from his debut he is just a shade under 30 and is still active for WAPDA and regional teams but the return to National scene even in present depleted atmosphere is far fetching, in my opinion.
Faisal Athar - verses New Zealand (2003)
-Right Hand Batter!
Yet another batter who was selected for his endeavors in the First Class version of the game to make debut in a One Day International. Which turnout to be not only the Final of that tri-nation tournament but also to be his first and final international fixture.
After the debacle of WC 2003, there was an exodus of celebrated yet aging cricketers from Team Pakistan; enforced or otherwise. Therefore, when the time to select the touring party for a Tri Nation ODI Tournament in Sri Lanka came, inclusion of fresh blood was inevitable. At the side of Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Hafiz and Umar Gul Hyderabad-born right hander also got the nod.
He was handed the green cap in the most pressurized game of the tourney, The Final, on May 23, 2003. Rashid Latif won the Toss and made Athar open the proceedings with Hafeez, who got out in the opening over followed by Hameed to effectively cast a shell on the debutant who after snailing 9 off 38 balls in an hour’s stay ended the misery by snicking one behind.
At 32, Athar is still playing active cricket and is roughly 2 years younger to the current batting maestro Misbah-ul-Haq but the inclination towards youth cricket stars and the peppering of Khalid Latif, Fawad Alam & rest alongside 3 bigwigs of the Middle-Order - Athar would be laid to rest as one 1 ODI Wonder...
Who could still break the Jinx?
At-least 6 namely Khalid Latif, Khurrum Manzoor, Rizwan Ahmed, Naumanullah , Mansoor
Amjad & Najaf Shah can strive to shrink the No. down a bit because of their recent debuts and a couple of them are already tipped for more regularity at National level. I personally have high hopes from Karachi-born & bred Khalid Latif who made good showing in the recent Practice games and looks well set to extend his opportunities in coming International commitments (if, any) and possibly the biggie against the might of the Indians.
Conclusion
In fact, the bowler who took the first-ever ODI wicket that of G. Boycott was also a 1 ODI Wonder - Alan Thomson! A pair not really fancied today to play the first ever delivery & acclaim the first of all the ODI wickets, some 37 years ago!
Many players in this research paper turn-up for their single moment of glory at the dead end of any given series, except for Faisal Ather who played in the Final of a Tri Nation. Be it the Shakeel Khan of Arbab Niaz Stadium or the Shahid Anwar of Trent Bridge... they were handed glory when it really wasn’t glorious.
On the concluding flip side there are as many as 12 International Players who enjoyed their ace-day-in-the-field against the Mercurial Team Pakistan in a list that includes alongside Poor Guy’s Andy Roberts a la Jammie Siddons, also the current Bangla Coach.
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