The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match was going on at Karachi’s National Stadium, and one of the players said to his colleague, “Dude, I feel something strange in my shoulder and chest. That batsman had completed half a century by that time.” Seeing his condition, the team management immediately took him to the hospital, where a heart disorder was revealed.
Lying on the hospital bed, that cricketer was thinking that he had joined the national team with so much difficulty, what will happen now, this player was Abid Ali, if someone writes a book on the unfortunate cricketers of Pakistan, there must be a chapter on him. Despite his consistent performance, he got his chance very late. After 12 years in domestic cricket, after scoring 7116 runs in 106 first-class matches, he got a chance to make his Test debut against Sri Lanka at the age of 31. He suffered a lot from the love of ‘uncle nephew’, Abid was no longer in the limelight, so he was sent to the UAE on a junior team tour, where he scored runs and was recalled, here again in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match. He made a double century, in such a situation it became a necessity to give him a Test cap.
Abid scored a century on debut, but then his heart broke his heart. When he fell ill in December 2021, he had earlier scored 263 runs at an average of 87 in the tour of Bangladesh, and was named player of the series, as in Tests. He became the first cricketer in the world to score a century in the first ODI as well, but when it seemed that everything was going well, Sahat played the role of selectors with Abid, a few of the angioplasty. Months later, he got fit, but then he did not get a chance to represent the national team.
I was always taught by my elders that even in good times no one should be in touch but if someone is going through a bad period, don’t let them feel alone, that’s why I always kept in touch with Abid, on WhatsApp. His religious messages are also coming regularly, but today when I called him in England, he seemed sad. He doesn’t even ask, now fellow cricketers and PCB officials don’t even answer the phone, the domestic contract has also ended, if you need medicines etc., you have to make arrangements yourself.
When I asked the reason for not participating in the Champions Cup, he said, “I had a conversation with an official who said that players above the age of 35 cannot participate in this event.” I asked about his health. Abid said, “I am now perfectly fine and cricket has been going on for many years without any problem.” When our conversation ended, I began to think that it happens in horse racing that if a horse falls ill, it is sidelined. I get tied up and no one questions it, it’s a human game cricket how can you forget someone like that,
36-year-old mentor Sarfraz Ahmed can also play in a match in the Champions Cup, 38-year-old Nouman Ali is also in action, 35-year-old UmarzAmin recently toured Australia for Pakistan A (Shahins). Misbah-ul-Haq, the mentor of a team, played Test cricket till the age of 43 and now talks about feeding the youth, that is, there is a different scale for everyone, if someone is liked, age does not matter, someone is straight without recommendation. If he is a simple human being, he is justified to be expelled.
There is no doubt that Abid Ali has not shown the same performance in domestic cricket after his return, but he is still better than many current cricketers. Gaya, that’s why they are now playing leagues for a living in England, former cricketers like Salman Butt in our country are seen commenting even after being jailed for match-fixing, every day they were like Hippocrates making new statements. There are also people chanting “Wow, what is cricketing mind?”
A player like Aamir is still being overlooked, how many cricketers like Abid Ali become a forgotten story when they don’t get a chance, you will often see videos on social media that someone singing in a loud voice. Singing, someone showing their acting skills at a friend’s party, these are all the poor people who didn’t get opportunities otherwise they would have reached where.
There is a lot of talent, even in cricket many young people left the game and started working in factories when the departments were closed, someone started driving a taxi, such players have to be brought back, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi gives importance to merit. I would request you to look into Abid Ali’s case personally, he should at least get a chance in events like the Champions Cup, if he performs, let him represent the national team, or at least a living. Give the job, if it’s a 20-year-old who starts panting after 4 overs or a 42-year-old superfast player like Shoaib Malik, Shoaib should be given importance. Although he himself is now away from international cricket, but his example was necessary here, we keep crying about the lack of talent in the country, appreciate the players who are there, everyone has the opportunity to campaign on social media. Money or influence does not matter, the voice of such players should be heard by the board, I am sure Naqvi Sahib will give the rights to the rightful ones.
