JEDDAH, 19 December 2003 - A sterling all-round performance by Hyderabad XI's Ajaz Khan and Afsar Faheem failed to lift their side to victory against the Consul General of India XI in a thrilling 18-over-a-side match organized by the Hyderabad Overseas Association at the Jeddah Cricket League (JCL) Complex here yesterday.
Inspired by the dynamic leadership of their captain Syed Akbaruddin and the presence of JCL president and cricketing genius Shahid Amin and Sri Lankan Consul General A.C.M. Ibrahim, the CGI XI made up for losing the toss by hammering 168 runs for the loss of nine wickets, scoring at 9.3 runs an over.
They were greatly helped by A.A. Merchant's unbeaten 20, Humayun Farooq's stylish 19, Yousuf Ahmad's quickfire 18, Afroz Qassim's sedate 17, Manzoor Karimuddin's patient 13 and Khalil Qazi's breezy 11.
CGI XI batsmen pierced the fielding at will and took the aerial route on a number of occasions to accelerate an already healthy run rate. Afsar Faheem, however, slammed on the breaks with a superb bowling spell that earned him three prized wickets in quick succession. Well-known cricketers that they are, Afsar and Ajaz were treated with the respect that they deserve. Among the other wicket-takers for Hyderabad XI were Ahsan Rafe (2/22) and Muhammad Iftekhar Hussein (2/17).
In reply, Hyderabad XI batsmen could never find their feet. In the face of a mammoth score they needed a long and steady innings from some of their top batsmen. But their wickets kept falling at regular intervals, thanks to spot-on bowling by Samiullah Khan (3/21), Humayun Farooq (2/2), Khaled Kareem (2/15) and Indian Haj Consul Abdul Majid. There was some excellent fielding in the outfield by Afroz Qassim and Khalil Qazi. The Hyderabad XI were bowled out for 130 runs losing the match by 38 runs.
The winning team had an interesting mix of players - from the youthful and enthusiastic Sai Ahmed and Syed Amjad Hassan to the experienced Majeedul Hassan, Samiullah Khan and Khalil Qazi. The Hyderabad XI had more veteran players in Ali Sherza, Haroon Abdullah and Abdul Jaleel. That in the end perhaps made the difference.
If it had been just any cricket match, the jumble of figures above would have sufficed. But this was an extraordinary event. What happened beyond the boundary was more important than what happened on the dusty track.
Cricket is a passion in the subcontinent, and Indians are crazy about the game. Hyderabadis are even crazier. And why not? They have produced the most successful captain in the game's history: Muhammad Azharuddin. One could not stop noticing the influence the former captain has on these ordinary players as they tried on every occasion to use their wrist to run the ball down the boundary line, very much like Azharuddin.
"We wanted Azharuddin here," said Hyderabad Overseas Association President Sadat Ali Khan. "We tried, but in vain." But his face lit up at the turnout. "We got a good response," he added.
"This is just fantastic," concurred an elated JCL President Shahid Amin. There can be no doubt about his immense contribution to popularizing the game in the Kingdom. And yet, he remained modest. "It is teamwork," he said.
He said the friendly match was an excellent opportunity to bring different communities together. "JCL is the oldest organization in the Kingdom promoting cricket in the Kingdom," he said.
Shahid Amin said he was particularly indebted to the Alireza family for their unstinting support - especially Sheikh Zainal Alireza - and Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Al-Maeena. "They have been the pillars of strength in promoting cricket in the desert," he said.
Indian Consul General Syed Akbaruddin acknowledged Amin's role and presented him with a replica of the Taj Mahal as a souvenir. "Let this be the symbol of our lasting association," Akbaruddin said.
Cricket was just a ruse for the Indian consul general to bring together the community members and to make a difference in their lives while they slug away thousands of miles away from home.
The Sri Lankan consul general recalled his days at the Sri Lankan Embassy in China where each cricketing nation from Asia had a team and they would organize matches among themselves. "Today's match reminded me of the good old days - we will have the same thing here in the Kingdom," he promised.
As Akbaruddin said, they were no victors or losers. It was cricket that won as the crowd erupted in cheers. And what a colorful crowd it was. There were men and women, in their festival best and sporting shiny sunglasses. The atmosphere transported one into a mini-Hyderabad, with the aroma of the mouth-watering biryani wafting through the complex. Those present made up a veritable Who's Who of the Indian expatriate community in Jeddah. There was Shakeel Sultan, president of the India Forum, Jamal Quadri of the Urdu Academy, Brig. Iqbal Siddiqui of the International Indian School, Jeddah, Saeed Shaukat of HOA, Saleem Quadri of IDB, Wandoor Abubaker, formerly of Kairali, Khaja Quadeer Anwar, founder director of IDEAS, Dr. Muhammad Maniyar of SEAT, Arif Quraishi of the Indian Cultural Society, Salabat Lodhi of Habib Investment Company, Sharief Aslam of Zinda Dilan-e-Hyderabad, Siadat Ali Khan of Khak-e-Taiba Trust and Burhan Quadri, a freelance journalist.
Among all these statistics we forgot to mention that the man of the match award went to Humayun Farooq for his all-round performance. But the men of the match were Dr. Iqbal Musani and Sultan Mazharuddin. Their delightful running commentary had everybody in stitches.
