Fazal Mahmood has many aspects of
his legendary personality. He is known as hero of the oval ground. Fazal
Mahmood the legend cricketer was born on 18th February 1927 in Lahore. He is
regarded as the finest pace bowler ever produced by cricket in the early
history of Pakistan. He played 34 Test
matches and secured 139 wickets at an average of 24.70. He was the first
Pakistani to pass 100 wickets, he reached the target in his 22nd match.
Fazal Mahmood started his cricket
in undivided India and played his earliest first-class cricket for Northern
India in the Ranjhi Trophy and remarkable performances there led to selection
for India's first tour of Australia in 1947–48. After the independence of
Pakistan he chose to live in Pakistan and play for Pakistan.
He played a
crucial role in obtaining Test status
for the newly created Pakistan and then in setting them as a Test match team.
He has the credit of taking ten wickets in a Test on four occasions; those were
against India, England and Australia coming in Pakistan's maiden victories over
those teams. Fazal Mahmood's most wonderful performance came on the 1954 tour
of England, when he played a leading role as Pakistan won at The Oval to equal
the series. He secured match figures of 12/99, also including 6/46 in the
second innings as England lost chasing a target of 168. He was recognized as
hero of Oval.
Fazal Mahmood later on led the
national team in 10 matches between 1959 and 1961 after Abdul Hafeez Kardar. He
got immediate success against the West Indies but after being defeated by
Australia and a draw with India he was removed from captaincy. He retired from Test
and first-class cricket in 1962.
Something outside the Cricket:
After securing a Master’s degree
in economics from Islamia College he joined the Pakistan Services as an inspector
of Police in 1947 promoting to Deputy Superintendent in 1952 and subsequently Deputy Inspector General in 1976.
Fazal Mahmood could not
survive a fatal heart attack at his
Lahore residence on 30 May 2005 and this legend cricketer departed towards his
Lord. He was commented as a "great human being" by his close friend and
former team-mate Hanif Mohammad. He was a role model for the primitive bowlers
of Pakistan.
Fazal was married with the
daughter of Mohammad Saeed, who was the Pakistani cricket's first captain. Only
the Pakistani bowlers Waqar Younis and
Mohammad Asif reached at his landmark with the same speed.
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