Karachi’s role in the history of cricket, Pakistan’s most popular sport, has always been prominent.
The city has produced many cricket stars, but there are also non-Muslim cricketers who have made the city and the country famous with their performances from the British era to the present day.
On August 28, the launch of the book ‘Non-Muslim Cricketers of Karachi’ by researcher Shah Waliullah Junadi was held at the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi.
The book covers the non-Muslim players of Karachi who were part of not only Pakistan but also foreign cricket teams in different eras.
When the author was asked why he felt the need to write this book, he said that he has written several books on the history of Karachi and continues to write various articles.
When he wrote an article on Karachi’s non-Muslim cricketers, which was published in Jang newspaper and a magazine, he was well received.
According to Junaid, people from within the country and abroad contacted him, even family members of some non-Muslim cricketers.
This experience gave him the idea to write a complete book on this subject.
Junaidi says that it took him many years to prepare this book because it required the search for authentic materials and reliable sources.
He met various senior cricketers, contacted the families of non-Muslim players and visited Parsi clubs to gather information.
He used various websites, books and sources, met many people and completed this book after a long research process.
When cricket started in Karachi during the British era, there were many grounds in that era, where Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Christians and Jews all played cricket.
According to Junadi, ‘Cricket was first learned by the Parsis, then by the Christians. At that time, Muslims kept away from cricket, considering it a ‘Fringis’ game’.
But after the establishment of Pakistan, the situation changed and Muslims also made a name in this field, like Hanif Muhammad.
He says, ‘Calcutta and Karachi were two major centers in the subcontinent where cricket was played in an organized manner.
‘Since Karachi was a port city, the British came here for jobs and trade and also brought their games here.
“When the first team from the subcontinent went to Britain in the 19th century, it included three or four cricketers from Karachi and they were all Parsis.”
Junaidi explains that he has included in his book all the non-Muslim cricketers of the 18th and 19th centuries who were born or played cricket in Karachi.
“Today the number of non-Muslim players is very less, there are some who were born in Karachi but are now playing cricket abroad like in Germany, England or America.”
According to Junadi, the purpose of this book is to highlight the services of non-Muslim players who played a significant role in Karachi’s cricket history.
Speaking at the event, senior journalist Mazhar Abbas expressed regret that since 2010, no non-Muslim player could represent Pakistan.
‘A lot has been lost in Karachi over time – the transfer of cricket boards, the collapse of grounds and the wastage of technical resources that have prevented talented players from emerging.’
Mazhar Abbas has no hope from the cricket board. ‘Talent can come from anywhere. We have seen talent go to waste. Many players gave trials but did not get selected.’
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According to him, ‘This book is a serious attempt to fill the gap in research work on athletes who have been neglected in the past.’
Qamar Ahmed, a journalist who has a close eye on the world of cricket and who himself plays class cricket in Hyderabad, said, ‘The popularity of this game increased in the eighteenth century due to gambling. The popularity of the T20 format in the present era is also a continuation of this trend.
According to him, cricket has nothing to do with religion, but there must have been moments in history when the influence of religion was felt.
“When the British came to the subcontinent through the East India Company, the Parsi community first started playing cricket with them, later Hindu and then Muslim players came forward.”
Referring to the Pentagular series, he said, ‘This series used to involve players from all religions.
He narrates an interesting incident that in 1911, a prominent player of the Hindu team, who took 87 wickets in 12 matches, was racially discriminated against by his own team despite playing against whites.
He further said that this book also mentions those foreign players from Karachi who represented different countries and highlighted the recognition of Karachi at the global level with their performance.
‘This is the first book of its kind on this rare subject, which can become an important reference not only for cricket but also for social history.’
Published in Urdu and English, the 130-page book has a blend of cricket, history and social evolution.
The book also includes comments from renowned journalist, former first-class cricketer and commentator Qamar Ahmed and journalist Sohail Danish, who termed it an important and unique effort.
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