Fazal Mahmood

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fazal Mahmood Pakistan (PAK)
[[Image:\|154px\|Fazal Mahmood]]
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling type	Right-arm fast-medium
	Tests	First-class
Matches	34	112
Runs scored	620	2662
Batting average	14.09	23.35
100s/50s	-/1	1/13
Top score	60	100*
Balls bowled	9834	25932
Wickets	139	466
Bowling average	24.70	18.96
5 wickets in innings	13	38
10 wickets in match	4	8
Best bowling	7/42	9/43
Catches/stumpings	11/-	39/-
Test debut: 16 October 1952 Last Test: 16 August 1962 Source: [1]

Fazal Mahmood, also known as Hero of The Oval, (February 18, 1927 – May 30, 2005), was a Pakistani cricketer, regarded as one of the finest seam bowlers of his country's early years.

Mahmood played his earliest first-class cricket for Northern India in the Ranji Trophy, and he was nearly selected for India's 1946 tour of England. After more fine domestic performances, he was picked for the 1947-1948 tour of Australia, but partition intervened and as a Pakistani Fazal withdrew from the team.

Fazal's finest hour for Pakistan came in August 1954, when he played a major part in his country's first Test match victory over England. He took 12 for 99 at The Oval on Pakistan's 1954 tour, highlighted by the British media which reported: "England Fazal-ed."

In their second innings, England had been set at 168 to win and seemed likely to reach their target when 109 Runs for 2 wickets near the end of the 4th day with Peter May and Denis Compton at the crease. Fazal, however, took the wickets of May, Godfrey Evans and Compton, with Shujauddin chipping in to remove Tom Graveney and England 125/6 at the close of play. Fazal also took the first two wickets to fall on the final day of the match to finish with an innings analysis of 30-11-46-6, and Pakistan pulled off a stirring win by 24 runs to draw the four-Test series 1-1. In recognition of his feats, Fazal Mahmood was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1955, the first Pakistani to be honoured so.

Fazal also contributed significantly to Pakistan's first win over the Australians in 1955, taking 13 wickets for loss of 114 runs in the match at Karachi. Later in his career he captained the national team in ten matches, succeeding AH Kardar, and altogether took 139 Test wickets at a bowling average of 24.70. He suffered a fatal heart attack at his Lahore residence on 30 May 2005. His friend and former team-mate Hanif Mohammad described Fazal as a "great human being" and "the doyen of Pakistan bowlers in the country's formative years".

Fazal was the son-in-law of Mohammad Saeed, Pakistani Cricket's first captain. He is still the only bowler in the history of Test cricket to take 12 or more wickets in a Test match against 4 different countries, those being India, England, Australia, and West Indies.^{[citation needed]} He reached 100 Test wickets in just 22 Tests.