By Mowahid H. Shah, Washington, D.C.
I am writing to commend the sterling contributions on the early years of Pakistan cricket by Mr. Arshad Shami. They are all the more valuable in that they bring into spotlight events which happened in the pre-TV and pre-video era of Pakistan. The triumphs of our cricketers in those days helped highlight Pakistan on the map of the world while, at the same time, giving joy to millions of Pakistanis.
In his piece of November 23, Mr. Shami focused on Pakistan’s disastrous tour of England in 1962. In ‘54, when the rookie Pakistani team was there on its maiden visit, the tour ended with a grand flourish by beating England -- comfortably the best team in the world then -- at London’s famous Oval cricket ground. In ‘62, a far more seasoned team plunged into the abyss principally because a ‘sifarishi’ skipper was at the helm.
One silver lining from the ‘62 story is that Shahid Mahmood, a team member, quit cricket and Pakistan and went on to play a pioneering role as a community activist in the Tri-State area. 40 years on, the 1962 tour, which brought Pakistani cricket to the brink of ruin, still presents a larger cautionary tale about the perils of a ‘sifarishi’ culture.