First class cricketer Iqbal Umar dies

KARACHI: Iqbal Umar, a former first-class cricketer and one of the founders of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), passed away here in the wee hours of Tuesday. He was 74.

According to a statement of PVCA, the Namaz-e-Janaza was held at the Alhamra Masjid and he was buried in the Meva Shah Graveyard. Dua will be held on Wednesday (today) in the morning between 9:30 am and 10:30 am at the Alhamra Masjid in Alhamra Society.

Iqbal played a key role in organising the Inter-School Cricket Tournament whose eight editions have been held successfully. Although his first-class career was brief, he continued playing cricket as a left-arm spinner and a middle-order batsman for Karachi Gymkhana for a number of years.

He was a regular member of the Karachi Gymkhana Veterans team.He was elected president of the Karachi Gymkhana a couple of times and was understood to be the motivating force behind the launch of the Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament in the 1980s.

He also remained the president of the Karachi Cotton Exchange.

For a brief period, Iqbal was a member of the Governing Board of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2014 and there were reports that he was being considered for the post of chairman.

PPI adds: Former Pakistan chief selector Salahuddin Sallu said that he had known Iqbal since 1963.“With the demise of Iqbal, Pakistan cricket fraternity has lost a true gentleman,” Sallu said.“I pray that his soul rests in peace and his family endures this loss,” he added.