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Nawaz Sharif made his only First-Class appearance on this day, 1973, at the Karachi Gymkhana.
He was playing for Pakistan Railways against Pakistan International Airlines B in the quarterfinal of the BCCP Patron's Trophy.
Opening batting, he scored a duck.
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He was playing for Pakistan Railways against Pakistan International Airlines B in the quarterfinal of the BCCP Patron's Trophy.
Opening batting, he scored a duck.
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Railways won by an innings. Sharif neither bowled nor took a catch, so that was it for him.
Sharif played some other matches as well.
One of them was for Lahore Gymkhana against the England team during the latter's preparation ahead of the 1987 World Cup.
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Sharif played some other matches as well.
One of them was for Lahore Gymkhana against the England team during the latter's preparation ahead of the 1987 World Cup.
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This time he scored 1 before DeFreitas bowled him.
On a lighter note, Gavaskar was also bowled by DeFreitas in *his* last international innings.
Sharif also led the Punjab Chief Minister's XI (he was himself Chief Minister), this time against West Indies in the late 1980s.
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On a lighter note, Gavaskar was also bowled by DeFreitas in *his* last international innings.
Sharif also led the Punjab Chief Minister's XI (he was himself Chief Minister), this time against West Indies in the late 1980s.
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He opened batting with Mudassar Nazar.
To quote Imran, "Nazar wore batting pads, a thigh pad, chest pad, an arm guard, a helmet and reinforced batting gloves, while Sharif simply had his batting pads, a floppy hat – and a smile."
There are two versions of what followed.
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To quote Imran, "Nazar wore batting pads, a thigh pad, chest pad, an arm guard, a helmet and reinforced batting gloves, while Sharif simply had his batting pads, a floppy hat – and a smile."
There are two versions of what followed.
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According to Imran, the first ball, from a "6'6" fast bowler" hit the wicketkeeper's glove before Sharif could lift his bat.
"he team sighed with relief that it wasn’t straight," recalled Imran.
The second ball shattered the stumps.
Rameez Raja had a different take.
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"he team sighed with relief that it wasn’t straight," recalled Imran.
The second ball shattered the stumps.
Rameez Raja had a different take.
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Rameez and Sharif had played "a couple of matches" together in club cricket.
"He was a fierce cutter of the ball and also played with a straight bat. He really enjoyed his cricket," Rameez once told of Sharif.
But let us return to the West Indies match.
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"He was a fierce cutter of the ball and also played with a straight bat. He really enjoyed his cricket," Rameez once told of Sharif.
But let us return to the West Indies match.
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Rameez recalled that Imran had requested the fast bowler to go easy on the CM.
The fast bowler said "don't worry". He then bowled five bouncers.
The sixth ball sent the middle stump cartwheeling.
So the end result was the same.
The fast bowler said "don't worry". He then bowled five bouncers.
The sixth ball sent the middle stump cartwheeling.
So the end result was the same.
Image courtesy: Wounded Tigers, by Peter Oborne.
This was not a photograph from that First-Class match, by the way. He used to look a lot younger (I think).
This was not a photograph from that First-Class match, by the way. He used to look a lot younger (I think).
