Cricket: When Tauseef met Ilyas
Ilyas never played for Pakistan — Tauseef went on to play 34 Tests and 70 One-Day Internationals.
With no new memories being made in Pakistan’s cricket stadiums right now, the old ones are being held on to tightly – by fans and players alike.
Thirty-two years ago, a 21-year-old off-spinner, sporting a moustache and curly hair, was thrown onto the biggest stage, plucked from obscurity after impressing in the nets.
Ilyas Khan, all set to make his debut against the touring Australians, was surprisingly overlooked and drafted into the playing XI was Tauseef Ahmed at National Stadium Karachi (NSK).
Ilyas never played for Pakistan — Tauseef went on to play 34 Tests and 70 One-Day Internationals. Last week, the two met at NSK again, this time Ilyas as the match referee in the President’s Trophy match while Tauseef, also a Karachi region coach, the independent observer of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Tauseef is happy with how things worked out for him. Ilyas, however, wished things could have been different from the weight of shattered dreams that he has to carry all his life.
From the nets to a green cap
Tauseef, with no first-class cricket under his belt but 23 wickets in Grade-II, was introduced to Mushtaq Mohammad and Majid Khan by his neighbour Javed Sadiq just to bowl to the national team players in the nets.
“Sadiq talked to Mushtaq and told me the plan was to go to the nets,” said Tauseef. “I was scared and was not confident at all. I didn’t go on the first day because I thought I’ll be there just to collect the balls and won’t get to bowl.
“The next day, Sadiq picked me up from my home and took me to NSK. When I bowled to the tail-enders, everybody was so impressed that Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas and Mushtaq padded up again to face me in the nets.”
The rest, as Tauseef put it aptly, happened quickly. He was moved to the team hotel and handed a debut against Australia ahead of Ilyas. Tauseef grabbed seven wickets and never looked back.
“I went on to do well in international cricket thanks to the support of the seniors but now I feel bad for Ilyas who was unlucky not to have played.”
A nightmare I’m still haunted by: Ilyas
Ilyas still rues that bit of bad luck but hopes his son, Junaid Ilyas, who plays for KRL, will represent Pakistan before he dies.
“I fell apart after that particular setback where the players, management and luck was not on my side,” said Ilyas.
“My life became a miserable affair because I was not treated fairly despite performing well. Even later, when Tauseef was dropped, Nazir Junior and Ijaz Faqih were given a chance while I wasn’t even called to show my talent. Then in a warm-up match against the West Indies, I was only asked to bowl seven overs in three spells.”
Hopeful for his son Junaid
Despite years of waiting and no cap, Ilyas is now placing his hopes in Junaid.
“My son knows my pain and is working hard to fulfil my dream. When he played for Pakistan under-19, I was very relieved but the fire inside me will only be extinguished when he plays for the national side.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2012.
Thirty-two years ago, a 21-year-old off-spinner, sporting a moustache and curly hair, was thrown onto the biggest stage, plucked from obscurity after impressing in the nets.
Ilyas Khan, all set to make his debut against the touring Australians, was surprisingly overlooked and drafted into the playing XI was Tauseef Ahmed at National Stadium Karachi (NSK).
Ilyas never played for Pakistan — Tauseef went on to play 34 Tests and 70 One-Day Internationals. Last week, the two met at NSK again, this time Ilyas as the match referee in the President’s Trophy match while Tauseef, also a Karachi region coach, the independent observer of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Tauseef is happy with how things worked out for him. Ilyas, however, wished things could have been different from the weight of shattered dreams that he has to carry all his life.
From the nets to a green cap
Tauseef, with no first-class cricket under his belt but 23 wickets in Grade-II, was introduced to Mushtaq Mohammad and Majid Khan by his neighbour Javed Sadiq just to bowl to the national team players in the nets.
“Sadiq talked to Mushtaq and told me the plan was to go to the nets,” said Tauseef. “I was scared and was not confident at all. I didn’t go on the first day because I thought I’ll be there just to collect the balls and won’t get to bowl.
“The next day, Sadiq picked me up from my home and took me to NSK. When I bowled to the tail-enders, everybody was so impressed that Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas and Mushtaq padded up again to face me in the nets.”
The rest, as Tauseef put it aptly, happened quickly. He was moved to the team hotel and handed a debut against Australia ahead of Ilyas. Tauseef grabbed seven wickets and never looked back.
“I went on to do well in international cricket thanks to the support of the seniors but now I feel bad for Ilyas who was unlucky not to have played.”
A nightmare I’m still haunted by: Ilyas
Ilyas still rues that bit of bad luck but hopes his son, Junaid Ilyas, who plays for KRL, will represent Pakistan before he dies.
“I fell apart after that particular setback where the players, management and luck was not on my side,” said Ilyas.
“My life became a miserable affair because I was not treated fairly despite performing well. Even later, when Tauseef was dropped, Nazir Junior and Ijaz Faqih were given a chance while I wasn’t even called to show my talent. Then in a warm-up match against the West Indies, I was only asked to bowl seven overs in three spells.”
Hopeful for his son Junaid
Despite years of waiting and no cap, Ilyas is now placing his hopes in Junaid.
“My son knows my pain and is working hard to fulfil my dream. When he played for Pakistan under-19, I was very relieved but the fire inside me will only be extinguished when he plays for the national side.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2012.