Iqbal Jamil
KARACHI: A spellbound audience at the Liaquat National Hospital Convention Centre in Karachi listened intently as renowned cricket writer and broadcaster Qamar Ahmed shared captivating stories from his illustrious career during a special event titled “View From The Boundary.” The session was hosted by Dr. Salman Afridi, Medical Director of Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College.
Qamar Ahmed, who has covered nine ICC World Cups for the BBC and leading international publications, made a stunning revelation: Javed Miandad was initially not selected for the 1992 Cricket World Cup by the then team captain. It was the intervention of Pakistan’s Prime Minister that ensured Miandad’s inclusion in the squad. Miandad went on to become the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, following New Zealand’s Martin Crowe.
Sharing anecdotes from his personal and professional journey, Ahmed recalled his early days as a young cricketer. At the age of nine, he bowled out legendary Pakistani batsman Hanif Mohammad. Interestingly, he also dismissed Hanif’s younger brother Sadiq Mohammad on his first-class debut.
He highlighted a historical mishap in Hanif Mohammad’s career, stating that Hanif was run out on 499 runs against Bahawalpur due to an error on the scoreboard, which showed 496 instead of the actual 498. This miscommunication cost him a landmark 500-run innings.
Reflecting on his formative years, Qamar Ahmed shared that he originally played football in pre-partition India but switched to cricket after becoming fascinated by the mechanics of swing and spin bowling. Despite once taking eight wickets in a match, he was overlooked for selection for Pakistan’s 1957 tour of the West Indies.
He also shared personal stories from his association with the film industry. As a childhood friend of late actor Muhammad Ali, Ahmed once dined at Raj Kapoor’s residence, where he met legendary actor Dilip Kumar. He fondly recalled how Rishi Kapoor, son of Raj Kapoor, was a fan of Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Wasim Bari, and how he facilitated a phone conversation between them. As a token of appreciation, Rishi invited Ahmed to his wedding and introduced him to Neetu Singh.
In a startling disclosure, Qamar Ahmed recounted an incident in 1993 on a beach in Grenada, where Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, and Mushtaq Ahmed were arrested on suspicion of drug possession but were later released on bail. He claimed that Akram and Younis later sold the story to a newspaper for £20,000.
On the topic of match-fixing, Ahmed narrated a peculiar experience involving an anonymous bookmaker who once called him to predict how many times rain would interrupt a match. He guessed twice – without knowing the forecast – and the match indeed had two rain interruptions. A week later, he received an envelope with £800 in cash as a ‘reward’.
Ahmed also commented on several controversial issues in cricket history. He stated that the Justice Qayyum Report on match-fixing contained fabricated documents, maintained that Bob Woolmer’s death was natural, and labeled Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Fazal Mahmood as Pakistan’s best fast bowlers. He noted that ball tampering has existed since the inception of the cricket ball, and described Zaheer Abbas as the most elegant batsman and Majid Khan as a crowd favorite.
Despite covering an astonishing 453 Test matches and 743 ODIs, Qamar Ahmed revealed he has never watched a single match of the PSL or IPL.
The event ended with a standing ovation, celebrating the life and legacy of one of cricket journalism’s most respected figures
