Fazal Mahmood was one of the early greats to have emerged out of Pakistan as he took 139 wickets at an average of under 25 and helped them to wins against most nations in cricket.
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When one talks about Pakistan cricket, the fast bowling assembly line is an envy for the world. The country has produced some of the greatest bowlers in Sarfraz Nawaz, Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. The constant production of fast bowlers is due to the active tape ball cricket circuit in Pakistan as well as the need for speed in the country. The prospects of reverse swing, that was pioneered by the Pakistan quicks, made speed an all the more potent factor.
But, if there is one person who is credited for laying the base for Pakistan’s greatness in fast bowling, it is Fazal Mahmood. His 139 wickets at an average of 24.7 makes him a standout when compared to modern greats. Sure, they have better averages than him, but in that era, there was none better than Fazal Mahmood.
His exploits on matting wickets make him legendary. And to think, he could have played for India had the selection not been so myopic.
Born in Lahore in 1927, Fazal Mahmood had family who were rich in academics. His father, Ghulam Hussain, was an Economics professor from Islamia College who head cleared the Indian Civil Service Exam at that time. But, destiny had other plans.
His father joined the Independence movement and through an armed struggle from Afghanistan, they wanted to throw the British out. In preparation for the struggle, Fazal had a stringent training routine. This involved waking at 4:30 AM, walking five miles and running five miles. This schedule was adhered to for seven years. In the meanwhile, he also tried his hand at cricket. Ghulam Hussain was the president of the cricket club in Islamia College and he decided to make Fazal good in cricket.
The early discipline that Fazal practiced served him good in the domestic circuit. In the Ranji Trophy, while playing for Northern India, Fazal’s maiden wicket was Lala Amarnath. In 1946, Fazal Mahmood was part of the Zonal Quadrangular tournament that served as the selection trial for the tour to England.
Fazal took 9/83 but the selectors ignored him. The reason – He was deemed too young. No one realized it at that time. But, this would prove to be costly for India’s bowling fortunes.
His wonderful contribution for North Zone in many tournaments grabbed the selection eye. However, when push came to shove, he always missed out. His performances in the 1947 season saw him been picked in the India squad for the tour to Australia.
But, fate once again had other plans. Independence happened on August 15th, 1947 and the Indian sub-continent was divided. Two nations, India and Pakistan arose on August 14 and August 15. In a move that surprised many, Fazal Mahmood withdrew from the Indian squad and decided to play for Pakistan. His career would be stalled by five years, but it was a decision that paid off in the end.
After a string of solid performances for Punjab in the zonal competition, the MCC came to visit Pakistan for five matches. Fazal impressed on both matting and normal wickets. It was the performance of Fazal Mahmood that saw Pakistan gain Test status. On 28 July, 1952, Pakistan became the new members in Test cricket.
Pakistan’s first Test came against India in 1952. Just like in Ranji Trophy cricket, Fazal’s first wicket was that of Lala Amarnath. After losing the first Test in Delhi, Fazal put up a performance for the ages. He took 12/94 in the second match at Lucknow, which was played on jute matting wickets. His figures remained the best by a Pakistan bowler away from home at least till 1980.
In those days, pitches were played either on clay strips or jute matting. It was in both, but especially in jute matting, that Fazal’s bowling gained an edge. On matting wickets, he could get the ball to nip in or away at an uncomfortable pace and height.
Fazal was at the forefront of several of Pakistan’s epic wins in the 1950s. In the 1954 Test series in England, Pakistan were trailing 0-1 after Denis Compton had hit 278 in Trent Bridge. In the final Test at The Oval, England needed 168 for a win. At 109/2, it seemed a lost cause for Pakistan. But, Fazal changed the entire complexion of the match and ended with match figures of 12/99. Pakistan won by 24 runs and they became the first nation to win a match in their inaugural tour of England.
In that tour, he finished with 77 wickets at an average of 17. Fazal was named the Wisden Cricketer of the Year. In addition to his good looks, he was already a poster boy for charm and stylishness in Pakistan
Pakistan continued to gain tremendous success. In 1955, Pakistan secured a series win against New Zealand when they won 2-0. However, in 1956, Pakistan got the better of Australia in a one-off Test in Karachi. It was in that match that Fazal took his best figures of 13/114. The performance was hailed by Neil Harvey, one of the members of Sir Don Bradman’s Invincibles in 1948.
The 1958 tour to the West Indies saw big scores. Gary Sobers hit 364 and Hanif Mohammad responded with 337. But, Fazal bowled a total of 250 overs in the entire series. Despite the heavy workload, Fazal still ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 20 wickets and helped them to a consolation win.
When West Indies arrived in Pakistan, Fazal was at the helm. He took 12/100 and helped Pakistan to a series win against the West Indies. One of the major highlights was dismissing Sir Gary Sobers for 0. In that series, he took his 100th wicket in Tests. Overall, Fazal’s captaincy was mixed. He won two, lost two and drew six in his time.
Fazal retired from cricket in the 1962 tour of England. After cricket, he spent time in the Police Force where he groomed several top-notch athletes. He worked as a director in a Textile firm for years. There are reports that in 1956 he was offered a movie role in the film Bhowani Junction but he refused. Fazal also published a book in 1970 titled ‘Urge To Faith’, where he outlines his vision of applying Islamic principles to the economy and social system of Pakistan.
The cricketing world lost Fazal in 2005 as he suffered a heart-attack. But, in the words of Shoaib Akhtar, he was the torch-bearer for Pakistan in the formative days.
