Fazal Mahmood
Encyclopedia
Fazal Mahmood was a Pakistani cricket
er, regarded as the finest pace bowler
of his country's early years. He played in 34 Test matches
and took 139 wickets at a bowling average
of 24.70. The first Pakistani to pass 100 wickets, he reached the landmark in his 22nd match.
Fazal played his earliest first-class
cricket for Northern India in the Ranji Trophy
and strong performances there led to selection for India's inaugural tour of Australia in 1947–48. The partition of India
prior to the tour led Fazal, a Muslim, to withdraw and choose Pakistan. He played a major role in first gaining Test status for the new nation and then establishing them as a Test match team. He took ten wickets in a Test on four occasions; those against India, England and Australia coming in Pakistan's maiden victories over those teams. Fazal's most memorable performance came on the 1954 tour of England
, when he had a leading role as Pakistan won at The Oval
to square the series. He took match figures
of 12/99, including 6/46 in the second innings
as England collapsed chasing a target of 168.
Succeeding Abdul Kardar
as captain
, Fazal led the national team in 10 matches between 1959 and 1961. He had immediate success against the West Indies but after losing to Australia and a stalemate with India he was sacked as captain. In all Pakistan won two Tests and lost two under his leadership. He retired from Test and first-class cricket following the 1962 tour of England when he was called-up to replace injured opening bowlers.
in a inter-college final, a record for the tournament.
scoring 38 not out
and taking three wickets. His maiden first-class wicket was that of India Test all-rounder Lala Amarnath
. In Fazal's second appearance, a semi-final against Western India, he claimed eight wickets including 6/65 in the first innings.
After a quiet 1944–45 season, in which Fazal took five wickets at 18.20, his performances the following season almost led to a place on the 1946 tour of England. Playing in the Zonal Quadrangular Tournament, a competition which acted as a trial for the tour, he opened the bowling for North Zone with Amarnath and took match figures of 9/83. Indian captain Nawab of Pataudi
wanted Fazal in the squad but he was considered too young by the other selectors. On the tourists return home they played two matches against a Rest of India XI, Fazal took seven wickets in the first match which the Rest won but was expensive in the second. Later in the 1946–47 season his batting abilities were displayed when he scored his first and only first-class century. Playing for North Zone he scored exactly 100 not out from number eight, sharing in a 207-run seventh wicket partnership
with Gogumal Kishenchand
. North Zone won the match comfortably with Fazal contributing six wickets. He took a further five wickets in the final but North Zone lost by an innings. The zonal tournament had again acted as a trial, on this occasion for the country's inaugural tour of Australia in 1947–48. Fazal was included in the squad and attended the training camp, however before the tour began partition
intervened and as a devout Muslim Fazal withdrew.
and Sind. Fazal played for Punjab, taking six wickets and scoring 60 in an innings victory. The match was the first time that Fazal opened the bowling alongside Khan Mohammad
, his future new ball partner for Pakistan. The first international visitors to Pakistan were West Indies in November 1948. The last of three fixtures was against a representative side which contained Fazal, he failed to take a wicket in a drawn match. At the end of the 1948–49 season Pakistan toured Ceylon for four matches, Fazal was the leading wicket-taker with 20 wickets. On the return tour a year later he took 16 wickets in two matches.
A MCC
side toured the subcontinent in 1951–52, playing a number of fixtures in Pakistan. In the first match against Punjab they were nearly forced to follow on after Fazal took 5/58. The fifth and final match of the tour was against a Pakistan side on a coir matting wicket at Karachi, Fazal exploited the surface to return figures of 6/40 in the MCC's first innings. The hosts went on to win by four wickets, a victory that played a large part in Pakistan gaining Test
status. Pakistan were made Test members on 28 July 1952, less than five years after independence.
, taking 2/92 in India's first innings, his maiden wicket was Indian captain, Lala Amarnath
. Pakistan were dismissed cheaply twice to lose by an innings, Fazal was the only Pakistani player to reach double figures in both innings. Pakistan reversed the result in the second Test at Lucknow
, played on a jute matting pitch Fazal took 5/52 in the first innings and 7/42 in the second as Pakistan won by an innings in only their second ever Test. His match figures of 12/94 are the best by a Pakistani bowler away from home, and were the best by any bowler against India until 1980. In the third Test at Bombay
Fazal was wicketless as Pakistan lost by ten wickets, although in their first innings he scored 33 batting at number eight, helping Pakistan recover from 60/6 to 143/7. The final two Tests of the series were drawn, Fazal took six further wickets to finish his maiden series as Pakistan's leader wicket-taker with 20 at 25.60. He also made some lower order contributions finishing with a series total of 173 runs at 28.83.
fast bowler Alf Gover
.
Fazal was made vice-captain to Abdul Kardar
for the 1954 tour
which would prove a success for both player and team on their first series outside the subcontinent. Fazal began the tour well, taking 11/102 and scoring 67 in the tourists first match against Worcestershire
. He continued to take wickets in the lead up to the Test series, and also demonstrated his ability to bowl long and economical spells particularly against Oxford University
where he bowled 37 maidens in 68 overs taking 7/95 in the process.
The first Test at Lord's
was heavily affected by rain and drawn, batting was difficult in the play that was possible and Pakistan were dismissed for 87 in their first innings. England in response scored 117/9 declared
with Fazal and Khan Mohammad
bowling throughout the innings, Fazal recording figures of 4/54. In the tour match before the next Test Pakistan played Nottinghamshire
at Trent Bridge
, the tourists won by eight wickets with Fazal taking 11 wickets including a then career best 8/66 in the first innings. The second Test was at the same venue but saw contrasting fortunes as the Pakistanis suffered a heavy innings defeat and Fazal recorded his worst Test figures of 0/148. Although he was suffering with a leg injury which forced him to shorten his run-up. Pakistan faced another innings defeat after three days of the third Test but the match was drawn after rain stopped any play on the final two days, Fazal took 4/107 from 42 overs in England's innings.
Pakistan went to the fourth and final Test at The Oval
1-0 down but caused a major upset by beating England to level the series, it was the first occasion that a country had won a Test in England on their inaugural tour. Fazal played a leading role in the victory claiming match figures of 12/99. In England's first innings he bowled throughout taking 6/53 from 30 overs, Wisden wrote the figures 'would have been much better but for dropped catches'. In a low scoring match, England were set a target of 168 in their second innings. Despite the early loss of Len Hutton
, for the second time in the match caught behind off the bowling of Fazal, at 109/2 England looked well set on the fourth evening. However Fazal took the wickets of Peter May
, Godfrey Evans
and Denis Compton
before the close and the next day took the first two wickets to fall as Pakistan completed a 24-run victory. Fazal's finished with second innings figures of 6/46 from 30 overs.
In the series Fazal took 20 wickets, 12 more than the next best Pakistani bowler, at an average of 20.40. He played in only one of the six first-class matches that concluded the tour but still finished as leading wicket-taker with 77 at 17.53. In recognition of his feats, Fazal was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1955, the first Pakistani to be honoured.
Later in 1955 New Zealand made their maiden tour to the country, Pakistan completed a first Test series victory, winning 2-0. Fazal played in two of the three Tests and took five wickets at 18.40.
Australia was the next visitors to Pakistan, touring in October 1956 for a single Test prior to their series in India and following the tour of England. In the match at Karachi, Pakistan secured a historic victory in their first Test against Australia. Fazal played a major role in the win, taking Test best figures of 13/114. He took the first six wickets to fall in Australia's first innings leaving the tourists on 52/6, a position they failed to recover from, they were 80 all out. He also took the first four wickets in the second innings and finished with 7/80. Wisden described his technique: "maintaining an accurate length and varying his swing with a mixture of leg-cutters and breakbacks". Imtiaz Ahmed said that: "Fazal never wavered in length and direction, and he moved the ball both ways intelligently...For one whole over from Fazal in the first innings, even the great Miller
had no clue."
. In the second Test at Trinidad Fazal was Pakistan's most economical bowler collecting six wickets in the process, while as batsman he scored 60 from number 10, his highest Test score and only fifty at international level. The third Test at Kingston was historic as Gary Sobers scored 365 not out, breaking the Test record for highest individual score. Injuries to fellow opening bowler Mahmood Hussain and spinner Nasim-ul-Ghani
meant that Fazal sent down 85.2 overs, what Wisden described as 'a phenomenal number of overs for a bowler of his pace'. Fazal conceded 247 runs in the innings and took the only two wickets to fall. Fazal's bowling analysis places him fifth in Test history for most overs bowled and most runs conceded in an innings. Pakistan lost the Test by an innings and by losing the next match in Guyana they lost the series. Pakistan achieved a consolation victory in the fifth Test, Fazal taking 6/83 in the first innings including the wicket of Conrad Hunte
with the first ball of the match. Fazal finished the series with 20 wickets at 38.20, despite being one of his worst in terms of average, he was still Pakistan's leading wicket-taker.
and therefore completed a series win in the three match rubber. In a low scoring match Fazal played an instrumental role, taking ten wickets in a match for the fourth time in Tests. Put in to bat, Pakistan recovered from 22/5 to make 145. West Indies fared worse, being dismissed for 76 following a collapse of six wickets for 11 runs. Fazal bowled throughout the innings, taking 6/34. West Indies, set 214 in their fourth innings, fell 41 runs short. Fazal taking six of the first seven wickets, the other dismissal that of Sobers by Mahmood Hussain involved Fazal as the catcher. Mahmood finished off the tail to claim four wickets while Fazal ended with figures of 6/66 and a match analysis of 12/100. The latter were the best figures by a bowler whilst captain until 1993, when bettered by Waqar Younis
. The third Test, a dead rubber, was won by the West Indies. Fazal dismissed both openers but these were his only wickets in 40 overs. He was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 21 at 15.85.
Australia toured Pakistan at the end of 1959 for a three Test series which they won 2-0, Pakistan's first series defeat at home. In the first Test at Dacca the tourists won by eight wickets, Fazal claimed six wickets including a first innings five-for, 5/71. He missed the second Test at his home city of Lahore, wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed taking over captaincy duties in a match Australia won by seven wickets. Fazal returned for the third Test in Karachi and took another five wicket haul with 5/74 in Australia's first innings. Pakistan gained a lead on first innings but after three early wickets their second innings slowed and the match petered out to a draw. Despite missing a match Fazal was Pakistan's leading wicket-taker for the series, taking 11 at 19.36.
Pakistan toured India during the 1960–61 season but with little reward as all 15 matches on their tour, including five Tests, were drawn. Just as seven years previous, the series contained dour and defensive cricket as both sides appeared intent on avoiding defeat rather than attempting to win. Fazal won the toss in the first four Tests but only in the third Test at Eden Gardens
did Pakistan gain a first innings lead. In that match Fazal took 5/26 off 25.3 overs, but he failed to take a wicket in India's second innings as they batted out time comfortably. Apart from that five-for, his 13th and last in Test cricket, Fazal took only four other wickets in the series. Fazal's captaincy received severe criticism with accusations of favouritism, and following the final Test he was sacked as captain.
broke down injured. The five match series already lost, Fazal came into the team for the fourth Test at Trent Bridge. He shouldered much of the workload, bowling for all but 30 minutes of the second day and continuing throughout on the third morning until the England declaration, from his 60 overs he took 3/130. In the fifth Test at The Oval, he was expensive taking 2/192 from 47 overs, the two wickets, which proved to be his last in Test cricket, were those of Colin Cowdrey
(182) and Ted Dexter
(172).
Fazal suffered a fatal heart attack
at his Lahore residence on 30 May 2005. His friend and former team-mate Hanif Mohammad
described Fazal as a "great human being" and "the doyen of Pakistan bowlers in the country's formative years".
Fazal married the daughter of Mohammad Saeed
, Pakistani cricket's first captain.
He reached 100 Test wickets in 22 Tests, of Pakistan bowlers only Waqar Younis and Mohammad Asif reached the landmark quicker.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, regarded as the finest pace bowler
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
of his country's early years. He played in 34 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and took 139 wickets at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 24.70. The first Pakistani to pass 100 wickets, he reached the landmark in his 22nd match.
Fazal played his earliest first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket for Northern India in the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
and strong performances there led to selection for India's inaugural tour of Australia in 1947–48. The partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
prior to the tour led Fazal, a Muslim, to withdraw and choose Pakistan. He played a major role in first gaining Test status for the new nation and then establishing them as a Test match team. He took ten wickets in a Test on four occasions; those against India, England and Australia coming in Pakistan's maiden victories over those teams. Fazal's most memorable performance came on the 1954 tour of England
Pakistani cricket team in England in 1954
The Pakistani cricket team toured England in the 1954 season. The team played four Test matches against England, winning one, losing one and drawing two. These were the first Test matches played between the two sides...
, when he had a leading role as Pakistan won at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
to square the series. He took match figures
Bowling analysis
In the sport of cricket, a bowling analysis usually refers to a notation summarising a bowler's performance in terms of overs bowled, how many of those overs are maidens , total runs conceded and number of wickets taken...
of 12/99, including 6/46 in the second innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
as England collapsed chasing a target of 168.
Succeeding Abdul Kardar
Abdul Kardar
Abdul Hafeez Kardar or Abdul Kardar was an international cricketer, who is one of the only three players to have played Test cricket for both India and Pakistan; the other two being Amir Elahi and Gul Mohammad...
as captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
, Fazal led the national team in 10 matches between 1959 and 1961. He had immediate success against the West Indies but after losing to Australia and a stalemate with India he was sacked as captain. In all Pakistan won two Tests and lost two under his leadership. He retired from Test and first-class cricket following the 1962 tour of England when he was called-up to replace injured opening bowlers.
Early life
Born in Lahore, Fazal attended Islamia College from the age of 13. His father, Ghulam Hussain, was a Professor of Economics at the College as well as being president of the College's cricket club. He set Fazal a stringent training routine which involved waking at 4:30 am, walking five miles and running five miles. This schedule was adhered to for seven years. Fazal made the College first team in his second year and at the age of 15 took 5/13Bowling analysis
In the sport of cricket, a bowling analysis usually refers to a notation summarising a bowler's performance in terms of overs bowled, how many of those overs are maidens , total runs conceded and number of wickets taken...
in a inter-college final, a record for the tournament.
India
In March 1944, Fazal, aged 17 and still at college, made his first-class debut for Northern India. In a Ranji Trophy match against Southern Punjab he batted at number elevenBatting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
scoring 38 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
and taking three wickets. His maiden first-class wicket was that of India Test all-rounder Lala Amarnath
Lala Amarnath
Nanik Amarnath Bhardwaj was an Indian Test cricketer. He was the first cricketer to score a Test century for the Indian cricket team, which he achieved on debut...
. In Fazal's second appearance, a semi-final against Western India, he claimed eight wickets including 6/65 in the first innings.
After a quiet 1944–45 season, in which Fazal took five wickets at 18.20, his performances the following season almost led to a place on the 1946 tour of England. Playing in the Zonal Quadrangular Tournament, a competition which acted as a trial for the tour, he opened the bowling for North Zone with Amarnath and took match figures of 9/83. Indian captain Nawab of Pataudi
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi
Iftikhar Ali Khan , sometimes I.A.K. Pataudi was the 8th Nawab of Pataudi and captain of the Indian cricket team. He was one of few cricketers to have played for two countries, having also played for the English Test side...
wanted Fazal in the squad but he was considered too young by the other selectors. On the tourists return home they played two matches against a Rest of India XI, Fazal took seven wickets in the first match which the Rest won but was expensive in the second. Later in the 1946–47 season his batting abilities were displayed when he scored his first and only first-class century. Playing for North Zone he scored exactly 100 not out from number eight, sharing in a 207-run seventh wicket partnership
Partnership (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...
with Gogumal Kishenchand
Gogumal Kishenchand
Gogumal Kishenchand Harisinghani was Indian Test cricketer.Kishenchand had a crouched stance but was a good driver and hooker, and an occasional leg break bowler....
. North Zone won the match comfortably with Fazal contributing six wickets. He took a further five wickets in the final but North Zone lost by an innings. The zonal tournament had again acted as a trial, on this occasion for the country's inaugural tour of Australia in 1947–48. Fazal was included in the squad and attended the training camp, however before the tour began partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
intervened and as a devout Muslim Fazal withdrew.
Pakistan
The maiden first-class match in the newly formed country took place on 27 December 1947 between PunjabPunjab cricket team (Pakistan)
The Punjab cricket team is representative of the Punjab region of Pakistan. It plays in the annual Pentangular Cup which was reorganised in 2007-08 as a regional competition...
and Sind. Fazal played for Punjab, taking six wickets and scoring 60 in an innings victory. The match was the first time that Fazal opened the bowling alongside Khan Mohammad
Khan Mohammad
Khan Mohammad was a member of Pakistan's first Test team that played against India in 1952. Born in Lahore, Punjab, he was educated at the city's Islamia College. He played in 13 Tests as an opening bowler who shared the new ball with Fazal Mahmood...
, his future new ball partner for Pakistan. The first international visitors to Pakistan were West Indies in November 1948. The last of three fixtures was against a representative side which contained Fazal, he failed to take a wicket in a drawn match. At the end of the 1948–49 season Pakistan toured Ceylon for four matches, Fazal was the leading wicket-taker with 20 wickets. On the return tour a year later he took 16 wickets in two matches.
A MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
side toured the subcontinent in 1951–52, playing a number of fixtures in Pakistan. In the first match against Punjab they were nearly forced to follow on after Fazal took 5/58. The fifth and final match of the tour was against a Pakistan side on a coir matting wicket at Karachi, Fazal exploited the surface to return figures of 6/40 in the MCC's first innings. The hosts went on to win by four wickets, a victory that played a large part in Pakistan gaining Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
status. Pakistan were made Test members on 28 July 1952, less than five years after independence.
First series
In October 1952, Pakistan began their first Test series against India. Fazal made his Test debut in the first match at DelhiFeroz Shah Kotla
The Feroz Shah Kotla or Kotla was originally a fortress built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad. A pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C...
, taking 2/92 in India's first innings, his maiden wicket was Indian captain, Lala Amarnath
Lala Amarnath
Nanik Amarnath Bhardwaj was an Indian Test cricketer. He was the first cricketer to score a Test century for the Indian cricket team, which he achieved on debut...
. Pakistan were dismissed cheaply twice to lose by an innings, Fazal was the only Pakistani player to reach double figures in both innings. Pakistan reversed the result in the second Test at Lucknow
University Ground
The University Ground was a test cricket stadium in Lucknow, India. The first and the only international Test match was played on 23–26 October 1952 between India and Pakistan. The venue however was not as popular to Green Park Stadium in the nearby city of Kanpur which hosted most of the Test...
, played on a jute matting pitch Fazal took 5/52 in the first innings and 7/42 in the second as Pakistan won by an innings in only their second ever Test. His match figures of 12/94 are the best by a Pakistani bowler away from home, and were the best by any bowler against India until 1980. In the third Test at Bombay
Brabourne Stadium
The Brabourne Stadium is a cricket ground in the Indian city of Mumbai. It is located on 90,000 square yards of reclaimed land along Marine Drive near Churchgate railway station in South Mumbai. The stadium is owned by the Cricket Club of India . Brabourne Stadium is India's first permanent...
Fazal was wicketless as Pakistan lost by ten wickets, although in their first innings he scored 33 batting at number eight, helping Pakistan recover from 60/6 to 143/7. The final two Tests of the series were drawn, Fazal took six further wickets to finish his maiden series as Pakistan's leader wicket-taker with 20 at 25.60. He also made some lower order contributions finishing with a series total of 173 runs at 28.83.
England tour
A Pakistan Eaglets side, containing Fazal, was sent to England in 1953 in preparation for the following year's tour of the country. While in England, Fazal received coaching from retired England and SurreySurrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
fast bowler Alf Gover
Alf Gover
Alfred Richard Gover MBE was an English Test cricketer. He was the mainstay of the Surrey bowling attack during the 1930s and played four Tests before and after the Second World War...
.
Fazal was made vice-captain to Abdul Kardar
Abdul Kardar
Abdul Hafeez Kardar or Abdul Kardar was an international cricketer, who is one of the only three players to have played Test cricket for both India and Pakistan; the other two being Amir Elahi and Gul Mohammad...
for the 1954 tour
Pakistani cricket team in England in 1954
The Pakistani cricket team toured England in the 1954 season. The team played four Test matches against England, winning one, losing one and drawing two. These were the first Test matches played between the two sides...
which would prove a success for both player and team on their first series outside the subcontinent. Fazal began the tour well, taking 11/102 and scoring 67 in the tourists first match against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
. He continued to take wickets in the lead up to the Test series, and also demonstrated his ability to bowl long and economical spells particularly against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
where he bowled 37 maidens in 68 overs taking 7/95 in the process.
The first Test at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
was heavily affected by rain and drawn, batting was difficult in the play that was possible and Pakistan were dismissed for 87 in their first innings. England in response scored 117/9 declared
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
with Fazal and Khan Mohammad
Khan Mohammad
Khan Mohammad was a member of Pakistan's first Test team that played against India in 1952. Born in Lahore, Punjab, he was educated at the city's Islamia College. He played in 13 Tests as an opening bowler who shared the new ball with Fazal Mahmood...
bowling throughout the innings, Fazal recording figures of 4/54. In the tour match before the next Test Pakistan played Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
, the tourists won by eight wickets with Fazal taking 11 wickets including a then career best 8/66 in the first innings. The second Test was at the same venue but saw contrasting fortunes as the Pakistanis suffered a heavy innings defeat and Fazal recorded his worst Test figures of 0/148. Although he was suffering with a leg injury which forced him to shorten his run-up. Pakistan faced another innings defeat after three days of the third Test but the match was drawn after rain stopped any play on the final two days, Fazal took 4/107 from 42 overs in England's innings.
Pakistan went to the fourth and final Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
1-0 down but caused a major upset by beating England to level the series, it was the first occasion that a country had won a Test in England on their inaugural tour. Fazal played a leading role in the victory claiming match figures of 12/99. In England's first innings he bowled throughout taking 6/53 from 30 overs, Wisden wrote the figures 'would have been much better but for dropped catches'. In a low scoring match, England were set a target of 168 in their second innings. Despite the early loss of Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
, for the second time in the match caught behind off the bowling of Fazal, at 109/2 England looked well set on the fourth evening. However Fazal took the wickets of Peter May
Peter May
-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...
, Godfrey Evans
Godfrey Evans
Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England.Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches...
and Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
before the close and the next day took the first two wickets to fall as Pakistan completed a 24-run victory. Fazal's finished with second innings figures of 6/46 from 30 overs.
In the series Fazal took 20 wickets, 12 more than the next best Pakistani bowler, at an average of 20.40. He played in only one of the six first-class matches that concluded the tour but still finished as leading wicket-taker with 77 at 17.53. In recognition of his feats, Fazal was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1955, the first Pakistani to be honoured.
Home series
Pakistan's first home series came in the 1954–55 season with the visit of India for five Test matches. The series was marked by defensive and dull cricket with all five matches being drawn, the first occurrence of this in Test history. Fazal played in four of the matches and took 15 wickets at 21.93. His best figures came in the fifth Test at Karachi where he took 5/48 in India's first innings.Later in 1955 New Zealand made their maiden tour to the country, Pakistan completed a first Test series victory, winning 2-0. Fazal played in two of the three Tests and took five wickets at 18.40.
Australia was the next visitors to Pakistan, touring in October 1956 for a single Test prior to their series in India and following the tour of England. In the match at Karachi, Pakistan secured a historic victory in their first Test against Australia. Fazal played a major role in the win, taking Test best figures of 13/114. He took the first six wickets to fall in Australia's first innings leaving the tourists on 52/6, a position they failed to recover from, they were 80 all out. He also took the first four wickets in the second innings and finished with 7/80. Wisden described his technique: "maintaining an accurate length and varying his swing with a mixture of leg-cutters and breakbacks". Imtiaz Ahmed said that: "Fazal never wavered in length and direction, and he moved the ball both ways intelligently...For one whole over from Fazal in the first innings, even the great Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
had no clue."
Tour of West Indies
Pakistan's tour of the West Indies in 1958 was marked by a number of high scoring Test matches and Fazal had a large workload, sending down over 320 overs in the five Test series including 186 in consecutive Tests. Pakistan lost the series 3-1 and only avoided defeat in the first Test thanks to the 16 hour innings of 337 by Hanif MohammadHanif Mohammad
Hanif Mohammad is a former Pakistan cricketer. He played for the Pakistani cricket team in 55 Test matches between 1952/53 and 1969/70 and averaged 43.98, with twelve hundreds....
. In the second Test at Trinidad Fazal was Pakistan's most economical bowler collecting six wickets in the process, while as batsman he scored 60 from number 10, his highest Test score and only fifty at international level. The third Test at Kingston was historic as Gary Sobers scored 365 not out, breaking the Test record for highest individual score. Injuries to fellow opening bowler Mahmood Hussain and spinner Nasim-ul-Ghani
Nasim-ul-Ghani
Nasim-ul-Ghani is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 29 Tests and one ODI from 1958 to 1973. At the time of his debut, aged 16 years, he was the world's youngest test player....
meant that Fazal sent down 85.2 overs, what Wisden described as 'a phenomenal number of overs for a bowler of his pace'. Fazal conceded 247 runs in the innings and took the only two wickets to fall. Fazal's bowling analysis places him fifth in Test history for most overs bowled and most runs conceded in an innings. Pakistan lost the Test by an innings and by losing the next match in Guyana they lost the series. Pakistan achieved a consolation victory in the fifth Test, Fazal taking 6/83 in the first innings including the wicket of Conrad Hunte
Conrad Hunte
Sir Conrad Cleophas Hunte, KA was a Barbadian cricketer. Hunte played 44 Test matches as an opening batsman for the West Indies.-Early life and career:...
with the first ball of the match. Fazal finished the series with 20 wickets at 38.20, despite being one of his worst in terms of average, he was still Pakistan's leading wicket-taker.
Captaincy
By the time of the return tour the following year, Abdul Kardar, captain of Pakistan since their Test election, had retired from Test cricket. Fazal, the nation's leading bowler, succeeded him in the role. In his first Test as captain he won the toss and decided to field, opening the bowling he took the wicket of Conrad Hunte in the first over for the second successive Test. Fazal finished the innings with figures of 4/32 which also included dismissing Gary Sobers for a duck. Fazal took three further wickets in the second innings including both Hunte and Sobers, the latter's wicket was Fazal's 100th in Test cricket, the first Pakistani to reach the landmark. Pakistan completed a ten wicket victory to give their new captain a winning start. Pakistan also won the next Test at DhakaBangabandhu National Stadium
Bangabandhu National Stadium, also known as Dhaka Stadium, and formerly known as Dacca Stadium is the national stadium and a multipurpose sports arena in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located in the Motijheel area in the heart of the city...
and therefore completed a series win in the three match rubber. In a low scoring match Fazal played an instrumental role, taking ten wickets in a match for the fourth time in Tests. Put in to bat, Pakistan recovered from 22/5 to make 145. West Indies fared worse, being dismissed for 76 following a collapse of six wickets for 11 runs. Fazal bowled throughout the innings, taking 6/34. West Indies, set 214 in their fourth innings, fell 41 runs short. Fazal taking six of the first seven wickets, the other dismissal that of Sobers by Mahmood Hussain involved Fazal as the catcher. Mahmood finished off the tail to claim four wickets while Fazal ended with figures of 6/66 and a match analysis of 12/100. The latter were the best figures by a bowler whilst captain until 1993, when bettered by Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis Maitla is a former Pakistani right arm fast bowler in cricket and widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time...
. The third Test, a dead rubber, was won by the West Indies. Fazal dismissed both openers but these were his only wickets in 40 overs. He was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 21 at 15.85.
Australia toured Pakistan at the end of 1959 for a three Test series which they won 2-0, Pakistan's first series defeat at home. In the first Test at Dacca the tourists won by eight wickets, Fazal claimed six wickets including a first innings five-for, 5/71. He missed the second Test at his home city of Lahore, wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed taking over captaincy duties in a match Australia won by seven wickets. Fazal returned for the third Test in Karachi and took another five wicket haul with 5/74 in Australia's first innings. Pakistan gained a lead on first innings but after three early wickets their second innings slowed and the match petered out to a draw. Despite missing a match Fazal was Pakistan's leading wicket-taker for the series, taking 11 at 19.36.
Pakistan toured India during the 1960–61 season but with little reward as all 15 matches on their tour, including five Tests, were drawn. Just as seven years previous, the series contained dour and defensive cricket as both sides appeared intent on avoiding defeat rather than attempting to win. Fazal won the toss in the first four Tests but only in the third Test at Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity...
did Pakistan gain a first innings lead. In that match Fazal took 5/26 off 25.3 overs, but he failed to take a wicket in India's second innings as they batted out time comfortably. Apart from that five-for, his 13th and last in Test cricket, Fazal took only four other wickets in the series. Fazal's captaincy received severe criticism with accusations of favouritism, and following the final Test he was sacked as captain.
Final Tests
Fazal wasn't initially selected by Pakistan for the home series against England but returned for the final Test. He was as economical as ever, conceding 98 runs from his 63 overs, but failed to take a wicket. He wasn't included in the 1962 tour squad to England but was called up as a replacement when fast bowlers Mahmood Hussain and Mohammad FarooqMohammad Farooq
Mohammad Farooq is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 7 Tests from 1960 to 1965....
broke down injured. The five match series already lost, Fazal came into the team for the fourth Test at Trent Bridge. He shouldered much of the workload, bowling for all but 30 minutes of the second day and continuing throughout on the third morning until the England declaration, from his 60 overs he took 3/130. In the fifth Test at The Oval, he was expensive taking 2/192 from 47 overs, the two wickets, which proved to be his last in Test cricket, were those of Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
(182) and Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
(172).
Outside cricket
After leaving Islamia College with a Master's degree in Economic, Fazal joined the Pakistan Services as an inspector of Police in 1947 rising to Deputy Superintendent in 1952 and Deputy Inspector General in 1976.Fazal suffered a fatal heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at his Lahore residence on 30 May 2005. His friend and former team-mate Hanif Mohammad
Hanif Mohammad
Hanif Mohammad is a former Pakistan cricketer. He played for the Pakistani cricket team in 55 Test matches between 1952/53 and 1969/70 and averaged 43.98, with twelve hundreds....
described Fazal as a "great human being" and "the doyen of Pakistan bowlers in the country's formative years".
Fazal married the daughter of Mohammad Saeed
Mohammad Saeed (cricketer)
Mian Mohammad Saeed was a Pakistani cricketer born in Lahore.A right-handed batsman, Mohammad the first captain of the Pakistan cricket team and led them just before they were awarded Test status...
, Pakistani cricket's first captain.
Records and Statistics
Fazal was the first bowler in the history of Test cricket to take 12 or more wickets in a Test match against four different countries, those being India, England, Australia, and West Indies.He reached 100 Test wickets in 22 Tests, of Pakistan bowlers only Waqar Younis and Mohammad Asif reached the landmark quicker.
Tables
| Batting | Bowling | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition | Matches | Runs | Average | High Score | 100 / 50 | Runs | Wickets | Average | Best |
| Australia | 3 | 33 | 8.25 | 11 | 0/0 | 327 | 24 | 13.62 | 7/80 |
| England | 7 | 89 | 8.09 | 36 | 0/0 | 838 | 25 | 33.52 | 6/46 |
| India | 14 | 272 | 17.00 | 33 | 0/0 | 1080 | 44 | 24.54 | 7/42 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 34 | – | 34* | 0/0 | 92 | 5 | 18.40 | 3/34 |
| West Indies | 8 | 192 | 14.76 | 60 | 0/1 | 1097 | 41 | 26.75 | 6/34 |
| Overall | 34 | 620 | 14.09 | 60 | 0/1 | 3434 | 139 | 24.70 | 7/42 |
| Fazal Mahmood's Test five-wicket hauls | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |Match | |Venue | University Ground University Ground The University Ground was a test cricket stadium in Lucknow, India. The first and the only international Test match was played on 23–26 October 1952 between India and Pakistan. The venue however was not as popular to Green Park Stadium in the nearby city of Kanpur which hosted most of the Test... , Lucknow Lucknow Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division.... | 1952 | ||
| [2] | 7/42 | 2 | India | University Ground University Ground The University Ground was a test cricket stadium in Lucknow, India. The first and the only international Test match was played on 23–26 October 1952 between India and Pakistan. The venue however was not as popular to Green Park Stadium in the nearby city of Kanpur which hosted most of the Test... , Lucknow Lucknow Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division.... |
1952 |
| [3] | 6/53 | 9 | England | The Oval The Oval The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
1954 |
| [4] | 6/46 | 9 | England | The Oval The Oval The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
1954 |
| [5] | 5/48 | 13 | India | National Stadium National Stadium, Karachi The National Stadium is a cricket stadium in Karachi, Pakistan. It is currently used for cricket matches, and is home to Karachi's domestic cricket teams. The stadium is able to hold 34,228 spectators, making it the second largest cricket stadium in Pakistan after Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore... , Karachi Karachi Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... |
1955 |
| [6] | 6/34 | 16 | Australia | National Stadium National Stadium, Karachi The National Stadium is a cricket stadium in Karachi, Pakistan. It is currently used for cricket matches, and is home to Karachi's domestic cricket teams. The stadium is able to hold 34,228 spectators, making it the second largest cricket stadium in Pakistan after Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore... , Karachi Karachi Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... |
1956 |
| [7] | 7/80 | 16 | Australia | National Stadium National Stadium, Karachi The National Stadium is a cricket stadium in Karachi, Pakistan. It is currently used for cricket matches, and is home to Karachi's domestic cricket teams. The stadium is able to hold 34,228 spectators, making it the second largest cricket stadium in Pakistan after Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore... , Karachi Karachi Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... |
1956 |
| [8] | 6/83 | 21 | West Indies | Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the... , Port of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population... |
1958 |
| [9] | 6/34 | 23 | West Indies | Dacca Stadium Bangabandhu National Stadium Bangabandhu National Stadium, also known as Dhaka Stadium, and formerly known as Dacca Stadium is the national stadium and a multipurpose sports arena in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located in the Motijheel area in the heart of the city... , Dacca |
1959 |
| [10] | 6/66 | 23 | West Indies | Dacca Stadium Bangabandhu National Stadium Bangabandhu National Stadium, also known as Dhaka Stadium, and formerly known as Dacca Stadium is the national stadium and a multipurpose sports arena in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located in the Motijheel area in the heart of the city... , Dacca |
1959 |
| [11] | 5/71 | 25 | Australia | Dacca Stadium Bangabandhu National Stadium Bangabandhu National Stadium, also known as Dhaka Stadium, and formerly known as Dacca Stadium is the national stadium and a multipurpose sports arena in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located in the Motijheel area in the heart of the city... , Dacca |
1959 |
| [12] | 5/74 | 26 | Australia | National Stadium National Stadium, Karachi The National Stadium is a cricket stadium in Karachi, Pakistan. It is currently used for cricket matches, and is home to Karachi's domestic cricket teams. The stadium is able to hold 34,228 spectators, making it the second largest cricket stadium in Pakistan after Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore... , Karachi Karachi Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... |
1959 |
| [13] | 5/26 | 29 | India | Eden Gardens Eden Gardens Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity... , Calcutta Kolkata Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India... |
1960 |