Pradeep Ananda Bags 11 Wkts. in Zahira Win Rohana Dissanayake Re
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14 Wednesday 19th October, 2011 BY MOHAMMED SALIM PARVEZ was Stanley Jayasinghe with an innings of 80 on the opening day. The match he ongoing series between proved to be a farewell appearance for Pakistan and Sri Lanka is the lat- Pakistan’s skipper Mian Mohammed Test edition to the cricketing rivalry Saeed. His opposite number, that is in its seventh decade. On the lines Jayawickereme, failed to find his feet on of virtually all modern international the entire tour, with scores of 0, 1, 5, 17, 1 exchanges, cricket addicts in the sub- Pakistan - Sri Lanka and 0, to his name. continent can look forward to a short For reasons unknown to the scribe, compact tour of seven weeks that will apart from a brief tour undertaken by include 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and a T20. Pakistan ‘A’ side under Imtiaz Ahmed in Given the uncertainty surrounding a August 1964, it took no less than 16 years messy political tug of war and the secu- before Pakistan and Sri Lanka resumed rity issues in literally all the major cities (Part 1) their cricketing ties, at the highest level. of Pakistan, the Sri Lankan Cricket cricket of yore The arrival of Ceylon cricket team in Board, could only agree for a neutral Pakistan in November 1966 was the first venue for a series which on this occasion encounter between the two sides at full- will be played in UAE with all three In March 1949, a fifteen member ODI match between England and India at it was a welcome opportunity for players strength since 1950. Due to this situation major venues in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and cricket squad led by Mian Mohammad Lord’s on 11th September, alongside his of both sides to participate in competi- the cricket enthusiasts in Ceylon never Sharjah given the right to stage interna- Saeed, arrived in Ceylon. It was Pakistan opening partner, Hanif Mohammad. tive matches. got to watch Hanif Mohammad and tional cricket. Pakistan selection com- team’s first-ever international tour, that Predictably Pakistan recorded wins Pakistan, blessed with superior pool Saeed Ahmed, Pakistan’s two premier mittee, headed by former stylish bats- included two warm-up matches and two in both unofficial ‘Test’ matches of the of players, raced away in the series with batsmen of that period. All-rounder man Mohsin Khan, having opted to blood unofficial ‘Test’ matches both played at 1948-49 series with comprehensive mar- two easy victories. In the opening ‘Test’ Michael Tissera was named Ceylon cap- untried talent on the currently ongoing Colombo Oval (now known as gins of an innings and ninety-two runs at Bagh-i-Jinnah, Lahore, opening bats- tain for the tour that included three rep- tour of Zimbabwe, will be hoping for a P.S.S.Colombo). and ten wickets, respectively. The tour man Imtiaz Ahmed (127) and Syed resentative matches, i.e. unofficial ‘Test’ bigger pool of players and strong compe- At the time both Pakistan and Ceylon marked the beginning of the new-ball Asghar Ali (73), coming in at number matches. tition for places by the time the ‘home’ were associate members of ICC partnership of Khan Mohammad and seven, helped Pakistan to reach a As with the previous encounters in series against Sri Lanka gets underway (Imperial Cricket Conference). Each of Fazal Mahmood, that was to serve respectable first-innings total of 362. In the past the wide gulf between the two on 18th October. the teams would be using the matches to Pakistan with distinction, right up till reply Ceylon was dismissed for 166 and countries’ strength still existed and was Pakistan gained its independence in put out the best talent available in the the end of the tour of West Indies in 151 to lose the match by an innings and illustrated with three conclusive victo- August 1947, amidst terrible Hindu country and furthermore add strength to 1957-58. The medium-fast pair making 45 runs. Fazal Mahmood picked up eight ries for Pakistan, who since the Indian Muslim violence, at the end of the their future goal of gaining full ICC the most of the humid conditions in wickets in the match and was well sup- series of 1952-53, had the added advan- British rule in India. Its two wings, membership in order to participate in tage of having experience of official Test known as West Pakistan and East official ‘Test’ against established Pakistan-Sri Lanka (1949-2011) matches against the best sides in the Pakistan, were made up of the territo- nations, i.e. England, Australia, South world. ries which boasted of Muslim majority. Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and Played Pakistan Sri Lanka T/NR The back-to-back three ‘Test’ matches The East Wing of the country, in tragic India. Prior to Pakistan’s visit, Ceylon Unofficial Test 12 9 1 2 against a full-strength Pakistan side, led circumstances following the 1971 war had hosted two unofficial ‘Test’ matches Unofficial ODI 3 1 2 - by ace batsman Hanif Mohammad, sim- between India and Pakistan, created its against West Indies. The second game Test 37 15 9 13 ply proved too much for the touring side. Although the margin of defeats was own identity by splitting from the West was a highly creditable draw for Ceylon, ODI 121 71 46 4 somewhat depressing with 10 wickets wing and to be known as Bangladesh. a timely boost for its encounters with T20 6 4 2 - Total 179 100 60 19 (Lahore), an innings and 37 runs (Dacca) The two major nurseries of cricket in Pakistan. and innings & 35 runs (Karachi), each of pre-partition days were Lahore and Opening batsman, Alim-ud-din, now the games were taken into the final day Karachi and it was only natural for the 80, is one of only two survivors, along- and Stanley Jayasinghe’s 118 at Lahore first group of players in Pakistan to have side wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed, of the Colombo, claimed 26 wickets between ported by Khan Mohammad and slow-left and Michael Tissera’s 120 not out at affiliation to one or the other. An island Pakistan touring squad. Before migrat- themselves in the two unofficial Tests. arm spin of Khalid Qureshi. number six, represented admirable in the Indian Ocean, Ceylon (known as ing to Karachi in 1948, Alim, having In the first ‘Test’ Ceylon had no The Ceylon captain Sargo resistance from the touring team. Sri Lanka since 1972) was awarded inde- made his first-class debut at the tender answer to Pakistan’s formidable bowling Jayawickreme, though he tried his best, From the home side Mushtaq pendence in 1948 with capital Colombo, a age of twelve, when picked to play for attack and were dismissed for 112 and 95 failed in his efforts to inspire his team Mohammad notched up 101 at Lahore seaport city in the South West, as the Rajputana against Baroda in the Ranji as the match was finished on the third against a better all-round opposition on and then at Dacca he reached 129 whilst hub of cricket on the island. Trophy semi-final in 1942-43, was one of day. In the second ‘Test’, despite battling both matting and turf wickets. The ‘Test’ enjoying a 235-run stand for the 4th wick- et with brother Hanif (114). At Karachi, By the beginning of the 20th century, the brightest batting talents in Pakistan. hundreds from Ceylonese captain F.C.de at Karachi Gymkhana, was a proof of Javed Burki, sent in to open, dominated the game of cricket had been introduced He recalls, ‘To be honest I don’t recall Saram (118) and middle order batsman Pakistan’s overall superiority, as they Pakistan’s total of 483 with an innings of by the British Sahib, in the region inher- much of that tour except that we took a C.I.Gunasekera (120) on the opening day, romped home by 10 wickets. Pakistan 210. Slow left arm spinner, Fitzroy ited by the two newly independent states, flight from Karachi to land in Colombo. the home team was dismissed for 311. In bowlers Fazal Mahmood (8), Usuf Crozier, was the pick of the bowlers Pakistan and Ceylon. Only time would Yes our captain Mian Sahib, was a portly reply, Nazar Mohammed (170) and Rehman Chippa (7) and Khan among tourists with figures of 6 for 133 tell to how well it would flourish in com- figure, well past his prime, who was wise Murawwat Hussain (164), added 271 runs Mohammad (5) shared the twenty wick- at Lahore and 7-133 at Karachi. Front- parison to the all-powerful India, a Test- enough to pick a quite spot whilst we for the 2nd wicket to lift Pakistan to 474 ets on their way in dismissing the visi- line batsman and occasional off-break playing country since 1932. Its three were in the field. Khan Mohammad and for 9 declared, which subsequently tors for 162 and 149 respectively. bowler Saeed Ahmed, earned match fig- major cricket centres, Bombay, Calcutta Fazal Mahmood were among wickets. Lot earned them a 10-wicket win. Pakistan’s first innings lead was restrict- ures of 10 for 130 at Dacca, all the more and Madras, could justifiably lay claim was expected of me and I was pleased In March 1950, Ceylon team paid ed to only 98 runs by leg-spinner De remarkable in the presence of two-front- to the best facilities and standard of with my innings of sixty-odd.’ Alim-ud- a return visit to Pakistan. With no infra- Zoysa (6-72) but he could not change the line spinners, Intikhab Alam and Pervez Sajjad.