KARACHI: TheUKbased historian ofPakistancricket and renowned novelist Mr. Richard Heller has said that Master Aziz, a sports teacher and a coach of Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) had a great contribution in promotion of cricket in early days ofPakistan.
Delivering the lecture on the subject of “Contribution of Sindh Madressatul Islam and Master Aziz towards promotion of cricket,” as a part of the international lectures, organized by SMIU at itsauditorium on Monday, Mr. Richard Heller said that Master Aziz was Durrani by clan and basically was hailing from Afghanistan. Later he came to Sindh fromAfghanistanin 1930’s and was appointed as a sports teacher at Sindh Madressatul Islam.
Mr. Heller said that Master Aziz had trained a number of the best cricketers including Little Master Hanif Mohammad, his brothers and others. While his son Saleem Durrani was the only and first cricketer ofAfghanistanand firstly played there.Later Saleem had become a most important test player inIndiaafter Partition, but Hanif Mohammad was a great player than him. Mr. Richard Heller added that at that time cricket was encouraged at school, college and university levels, and these were the institutions that were producing good cricketers.
Adding to it, he said that today the situation has been changed inPakistanand even inEngland. “Cricket is also in trouble on school, college and university levels inEngland, due to the academic pressures on students,” Mr. Heller said and maintained that the students of theEnglandmostly give preference to their study rather than the cricket; this is why the situation has been changed inEnglandtoo.
He suggested thatSindhMadressatulIslamUniversitymay get lead in revival of cricket in schools, colleges and universities like its past.***