September 02 , 2016
At the Oval
The final Test between Pakistan and England commenced on August 11, 2016 -- the day Hanif Mohammad ended his mortal innings at age 81.
On August 17, 1954, it was Hanif who accomplished the run-out throw of McConnon, which gave Pakistan its historic victory over England by 24 runs. It took India 39 years in 1971 to accomplish what Pakistan did on its inaugural tour – beating England in England. The Oval win of 1954, spearheaded by Fazal Mahmood, went a long way in stamping Pakistan’s identity and presence in the international arena.
Upon arriving, at the reception lobby of the Oval’s Pavilion – where I was invited to the Committee Room as a special guest – it was a delight to see a huge portrait of the Oval Hero, Fazal Mahmood.
Blessed then it was to be present on a blissful Sunday afternoon on August 14, Pakistan Day, to witness Pakistan trounce England. This time, the hero Younis Khan, emerged from the Frontier to play one of the great match-turning innings in history. The Oval outcome paved the way for Pakistan to become #1 on ICC Test rankings.
In a sense, the Oval has been a sacred ground for Pakistan. It has been able to assemble five Test wins there: 1954, 1992, 1996, 2010, and 2016. Amazingly, all these wins have come in the month of August. So, Pakistan’s birth month of August has brought it special luck in London.
The spirit of the Quaid must be happy. When he returned from London, after completing his legal training, he came with a bat and ball, and encouraged the street kids to stand up and neatly dress up in white flannels to play cricket.
For 170 years, the Oval has been the home ground of the Surrey Cricket Club. It is the site of the first ever Test match played in England in 1880. The 2016 Test with Pakistan was its 99th Test at the Oval. On Thursday, July 27, 2017, England will play its 100th Oval Test match, against South Africa.
The celebrated sporting rivalry, The Ashes, originated too at the Oval in 1882.
It was here that Sir Len Hutton recorded his then world record score of 364 against the Australians, which was nearly bettered by Hanif’s immortal epic of 337 at Barbados 20 years later. It was also at the Oval in 1948 where the world’s greatest ever batsman, Sir Donald Bradman, was bowled for 0 in his final Test knock, barely missing the distinction of finishing the career-batting average of 100.
20 years ago, Saeed Anwar lit up the Oval with an enthralling 176 to set the platform of victory amidst the doom and gloom of floods which had engulfed Lahore and its vicinity.
The 2016 Oval win of Pakistan was a welcome relief against the background of the unfolding 2016 Rio Olympics, where Pakistan, a nation of 200 million with a proud sporting pedigree had zero presence. It is a stunning indictment of a culture where the reins of authority are entrusted to useless favorites, reinforcing inadequacy at the expense of national pride and prestige.
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