KARACHI, Feb 12 (APP):The UK based historian of Pakistan cricket and renowned novelist Richard Heller has said that Master Aziz, a sports teacher and a coach of Sindh Madressatul Islam, had a great contribution
in promotion of cricket in early days of Pakistan.
Delivering the lecture on the subject of “Contribution of Sindh
Madressatul Islam and Master Aziz towards promotion of cricket,” as a
part of the international lectures, organized by SMIU at its auditorium
on Monday, Richard Heller said that Master Aziz was Durrani by clan and basically was hailing from Afghanistan.
Later, he came to Sindh from Afghanistan in 1930’s and was appointed
as a sports teacher at Sindh Madressatul Islam.
Heller said that Master Aziz had trained a number of the best
cricketers including Little Master Hanif Mohammad, his brothers and
others. While his son Saleem Durrani was the only and first cricketer
of Afghanistan and firstly played there.
Later Saleem had become a most important test player in India after
Partition, but Hanif Mohammad was a great player than him.
Richard Heller added that at that time cricket was encouraged at
school, college and university levels, and these were the institutions
that were producing good cricketers.
Adding to it, he said that today the situation has been changed
in Pakistan and even in England. “Cricket is also in trouble on school, college and university levels in England, due to the academic pressures
on students,” Heller said and maintained that the students of the England
mostly give preference to their study rather than the cricket; this is
why the situation has been changed in England too.
He suggested that Sindh Madressatul Islam University may get lead in
revival of cricket in schools, colleges and universities like its past.
He further said that security situation has improved mostly in big
cities of Pakistan; therefore the PCB may invite visiting cricket teams
from England and other countries to Pakistan to play in schools, colleges
and universities of the country.
Talking on the history of Pakistan cricket, Richard Heller said that
a lot of the material of cricket in Pakistan has been lost. No one had preserved it except a few pictures and some stories, but young generation should collect the history of Pakistan cricket and upload it online for the world.
Earlier, Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Vice Chancellor of Sindh Madressatul
Islam University, in his welcome address thanked Richard Heller for
delivering lecture to the students of SMIU.
He said that in just after the establishment of Sindh Madressatul
Islam in 1885, in addition to the education Sindh Madressah was making
all efforts to familiarize and encourage students to take up cricket, tennis, hockey and other such sports which had been introduced in the subcontinent only recently and were not much popular.
Top priority amongst these sports was given to cricket and a Cricket
Club was established in Sindh Madressah.
Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh said that the institution went to the extent
that once a fortnight the whole Madressah was used to get a half holiday
for cricket.
He said that Jacob, an Education Inspector in Sindh was not satisfied
with the performance of the club. Later the efforts were made by Sindh Madressah to popularize cricket among its students, which bore fruit and
several students took up cricket as their favorite sport.
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was one of them who gave up playing
marbles and took up cricket.
Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh said that, in later days Master Aziz, a sports
teacher of SMI, upheld the said tradition of SMI and produced good
cricketers like Hanif Mohammad.
In the end a question-answer session was held where a student of SMIU
suggested that a lesson about the services of Master Aziz rendered for
promotion of cricket in the country should be included in the school syllabus.