Even as India won the Second Cricket Test match in Kolkotta by 195 runs, news was on the way to me from my regular Cathedralite correspondent, a great cricketer in his day, Naval Patel, that 44er / 45er Omar Kureishi, the best known cricket correspondent in Pakistan, had passed away in Karachi. Unlike A.F.S. Talyarkhan, who never wanted to share the mike with anyone, the Asian Cricket Commentators and the cricketing public owes much to Omar Kureishi.
Pakistan's seniormost cricket columnist Omar Kureishi died in Karachi on Monday following a massive stroke. Kureishi, 80, is survived by his wife and a son.
Just last August the Interntaional Cricket Council honoured Omar by selecting him as the representative of the media on its 50 strong Awards Voting Academy.
The 50-member Academy, which includes a minimum of two representatives from each of the ICC's Full Member countries, comprises four groups:
• The captain of each country (10);
• All members of the Emirates Elite Panel of Referees (current officials who have officiated in a series in the voting period) (7);
• All members of the Emirates Elite Panel of Umpires (8); and
• An invited group of `Legends and Media' (25).
And our own Omar was both a Legend and the Media.
One has only to read his piece from the Dawn written in the year 2000, The heart has its reasons to understand his depth of knowledge about issues as well as cricket. In this article he says:
" It is a fantastic sight and social scientists would be hard pressed to explain how a country that does not provide safe drinking water for half its population, where so many live below the poverty-line and where there are no schools, to speak of, can afford to indulge in an activity that is a luxury by any definition. I have often been asked to rationalize this cricket madness. I am not able to do so beyond saying that like a love-affair, the heart has its reasons."
And in that piece he also wrote:
"What gave Indian cricket its greatest impetus and created public involvement was the Quadrangular Tournament played at the Bombay Gymkhana between Muslim, Hindu, Parsee and European teams, later it became the Pentangular with a team comprising The Rest and the venue of the tournament was shifted to the Brabourne Stadium. Though it was a tournament structured on communal lines, it is quite remarkable that not a single untoward incident ever marred the proceedings. There may have been communal riots raging but it was peace and harmony on the cricket field. It was this tournament that became the nursery of cricket on the subcontinent."
On her recent visit to India, US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice stated that she would have to learn the game of cricket. Cricket is the game of Gentlemen and Gentleladies - and not those who are warmongers and killers. IMHO (In my humble opinion) Condi has no place amongst this august gathering of people from around the world.
In his Orbituary today in The Daily Times 2nd Editorial it is written
"In the glorious 50s and 60s, when the Pakistan cricket team was just budding, we would tune in to our radios to listen to Omar Kureshi alternating with Lata Mangeshkar, the ball-by-ball ankhon dekha haal sweetened by the Nightingale of the East. Especially memorable was how Omar would follow the bowler to his mark, trace his steps as he bounded to the delivery crease, and then raise his voice to a crescendo as the ball hurtled towards the batsman. We would sit at the edge of our seats in excitement and trepidation, and Omar would tell us all. He would describe how the batsman fended off the delivery, or attacked it — hooking, pulling, cutting or driving. And then he would trace the fielder’s lunge at the ball, his despairing chase as the ball sped towards the boundary. His English was unmatched. His evocation of the play matchless."
As India basks in its victory today, let us spare a moment to think of one of us Cathedralites who contributed so much to the game by his very Cathedralite nature.
Long live Omar Kureishi in our hearts as a symbol of cricketing friendship between our two great nations..
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