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Afzal Ahmed is one of the most respected members of the small fraternity of serious collectors of cricket books and memorabilia in Pakistan. In his own words, cricket has not only been his lifelong companion but also the lens through which he has seen the world. Over the years, he has amassed one of the most comprehensive collections of Pakistan-related cricketing literature and memorabilia to grace any home. Now retired from a long career in banking, he has used his time in conflict to compile a unique tome that reveals the rich tapestry of his community.
For the collector, historian, and ardent fan, the history of Pakistan cricket has long existed as a fragmented jigsaw puzzle, with pieces scattered across auction catalogs, private collections, and general historical texts. Afzal Ahmed’s book, Pakistan Cricket Chronicles, finally brings these pieces together in a single, monumental volume, turning a fragmented archive of the solid history of the national team into a definitive, annotated chronicle. This book is, quite simply, an essential reference for anyone tracing the country’s tumultuous and glorious cricketing journey.
The book follows a systematic pattern, historically charting Pakistan’s cricketing progress from the 1948-49 season to 2023-24. Each chapter begins with a synopsis of a new season, complemented perfectly by a carefully curated selection of images. After that, a collection of souvenirs, brochures, tour programs and similar memorabilia provides a tangible, visual connection to the events on the field, culminating with images and titles of all the books on Pakistan cricket that were published locally or internationally that season. This consistent format makes it easy for readers to navigate a seamless path through the vast inventory of publications that the book represents.
This compendium is structured not simply as a series of lists, but as an intellectual map of the evolution of cricket in Pakistan. It carefully presents primary source material, solving the long-standing problem of fragmented provenance. The early chapters are a treasure trove of early literature, including the first souvenir illustrations as well as the first book on cricket published in Pakistan. These publications, documenting the 1948–49 season, the first to feature international cricket in the new nation, anchor the game’s history directly in the national narrative. Another memorable reproduction from that inaugural year is a striking group photo of the first Pakistani cricket team to go overseas, when they visited Ceylon in March 1949 for two unofficial Tests.
A memento for Pakistan’s first official Test match against India in Delhi in 1952, an unusual post-a-distance memorabilia published by the BCCP to mark the national team’s return from a successful tour of England in 1954 and souvenirs for Pakistan’s first Test played at Dhaka in January 1955 are all on display. An inaugural memorial for the National Stadium Karachi in 1955 and a biography of Fazal Mehmood printed in 1956, the first Urdu publication on Pakistan cricket, are other rare treasures in the early part of the book.
Going through the pages of Pakistan cricket history is like a journey of discovery. Hidden gems appear regularly. Both issues of Omar Qureshi’s annual The Pakistan Cricketer, published in 1957 and 1958, are shown here. Another tasty morsel is a souvenir detailing the game program of our cricket team’s first international tour of the US, which took place on their return from a five-Test series against the West Indies in 1957-58. Then there is the original score sheet of Majid Khan’s pre-lunch century against New Zealand in Karachi in 1976. Signed by Majid himself, this example is named in the book’s foreword to Peter O’Bourne and Richard Heller in the tome’s piece de resistance. There is no nostalgia for the last international match played by Pakistan’s national team in what was once East Pakistan. The match ended prematurely in February 1971 against an international XI in Dhaka when play was abandoned on the final afternoon as riots broke out in the crowd.
Selecting just a few special items from over 1000 illustrations spread over 456 pages is a daunting and prohibitive task. Antikhab Alam’s handwritten team batting order for the 1974 Lord’s Test tour of Pakistan, written on an official Lord’s Cricket Ground letterhead, demands attention. There is also a special place for an extraordinary first edition book entitled Sind Cricket Tournament and Karachi Cricket in general by CB Ruby and BD Shankar, published in 1928.
It is no surprise that Pakistan Cricket Chronicles features all ten books written by Pakistan’s most prolific cricket writer Qaimuruddin Butt, six cricket and autobiographical books by Abdul Hafeez Kardar and four by Syed MH Maqsood and Khurdeem Hussain Baloch and Khamham Hussain Baloch.
Sultan F Hussain’s monthly magazine Sports made its debut in January 1956 and became the country’s definitive sports periodical for more than a quarter of a century. Not only does sports get frequent display space as we travel through Pakistan cricket cycles, the author has also given the magazine an extra special section of its own in the final pages of his book. A similar space is provided to Qamar Ahmed’s Pakistan Book of Cricket, an annual he produced over a decade. Other annuals in Pakistan cricket history are the Pakistan Cricket Yearbook, which enjoyed a twelve-year lifespan from 1980–81 to 1993–94, and the BCCP/PCB Cricket Annual, which had a similarly short lifespan from 1990–91 to 2003–04. Afzal Ahmed’s remarkable collection also includes seventeen Wills Cup/Wills Cricket Annuals published from 1981 to 1997-98.
The book has an amazing section showcasing 34 official brochures that were printed as part of the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) for various tournaments played in Sharjah from 1981 to 2003. There is also a second collection of 27 ranges in Pakistan and 62 other brochures that were played at 27 Randland Creeks in Pakistan.
This book is one that every cricket lover will find cheerful and fun. An additional piece that would have made it complete and perfect would have been the inclusion of Justice Qaim’s report. Although this report is technically neither a book nor a brochure or memoir and therefore may not strictly qualify as cricketing literature, it is nevertheless a document that is inextricably linked to our cricketing narrative. Its relevance is that it explores the dark side of our cricketing story and tries to answer the allegations leveled against it. The author may feel that these issues have already been discussed in other texts such as Peter O’Bourne’s Wounded Tiger or Usman Samiuddin’s list of people in the book and therefore need not include this report itself.
What makes this scholarly catalog a collector’s must is the sheer quality and depth of its illustrations. Apart from a wide array of memorabilia and brochures, the book is also heavily illustrated with great photographs, signed by the players. Apart from providing aesthetic pleasure, these illustrations serve as a definitive authentication guide to provide photographic evidence for the sources from which much of our national cricketing lore and folklore is derived.
However, Pakistan Cricket History is much more than a book about collection alone. It is, above all, a testament to the author’s passion for the game and the country he loves, a meticulously researched history that provides an essential scaffolding for Pakistan’s famously tumultuous, yet poorly documented, cricketing legacy in its distinct and unique way.
Perceptive historians have often noted how the robust nature of the nation itself is perfectly mirrored in the brilliance and occasional chaos of its cricket team. The sudden end of batting after moments of improbable genius is a direct expression of the national psyche: passionate, talented and constantly on the brink.
– This book is available in Pakistan from author Afzal Ahmed.
Email: afzalsirdon@hotmail.com
The book is also available in UK and Dubai.
Dr Salman Faridi is a senior surgeon, poet, sports aficionado and an avid reader with a private collection of over 7000 books. salmanfaridilnh@hotmail.com
