KARACHI: Former Pakistan cricket team captain and internationally renowned batsman Younis Khan has said that senior journalist Syed Muhammad Sufi and Geo gave him the first opportunity to speak on television.
After this, he said, he found new job opportunities with various Pakistani channels post-retirement, providing him a new source of income.
Khan said Geo News gave him his first chance to do a programme and appear on screen, and Sufi Sahib’s advice and guidance played a crucial role in his cricket career. When he scored his first century at the club level, Syed Muhammad Sufi was the first person to publish his photo in the newspaper. This great individual has played a significant role in building the careers of many cricketers, Khan said, adding that Sufi became the voice of many cricketers and wrote excellent articles for them.
Younis Khan was speaking at an event in honour of Geo’s sports editor and journalist associated with the Jang and Geo Group for three decades, Syed Muhammad Sufi, held at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday evening.
A large number of journalists attended the event. Legendary hockey player Samiullah, former Test cricketers Iqbal Qasim, Haroon Rasheed, Tauseef Ahmed, Sikander Bakht and Shoaib Mohammad, senior journalists Mahmood Sham, Mazhar Abbas, Abdul Majid Bhatti, Afsar Imran, President Karachi Press Club Saeed Sarbazi, and Secretary Shoaib Ahmed also addressed the gathering.
Younis Khan said he discussed his cricket issues with Sufi Sahib, who would provide solutions. All cricketers, including Younis Khan, mentioned that Syed Muhammad Sufi brought a new innovation to Urdu sports journalism and redefined players through his positive writings and impactful headlines. He became popular among players in Urdu journalism with his unique style.
Mahmood Sham said Syed Muhammad Sufi’s headlines gave readers a new style in Urdu journalism. His headline for Jang, “Pakistan ney Bharat ko Bangladesh mein dhool chata di”, gained immense fame. Mazhar Abbas said every meeting with Sufi Sahib was a learning opportunity. He still has the newspaper that Sufi Sahib used to publish from jail during the martial law era. The five-page newspaper, named “Zindan”, used to publish news about the jail. He ventured into sports journalism, besides political journalism, and today countless students pay tribute to him.