Khadim Hussain Baloch

Dr Khadim Hussain Baloch, cricket author and memorabilia collector, passed away aged 80 on Monday morning at Colchester General Hospital, Essex, UK, following a prolonged illness.

Khadim was born in Karachi on July 8, 1939. He devoted his life to the game he fell in love with in his youth while at St Patrick’s High School, Karachi. He enrolled at Liaqat Medical College, Hyderabad, in 1957, and graduated in 1963. In 1961-62, he captained his college team to an unbeaten season in the Inter-collegiate tournaments.

He moved to the UK in 1965 to pursue a career in medicine. While studying, he made an occasional appearances as a medium-pace bowler, both in Lancashire and with Mistley CC in Essex.

He first wrote for Indus Times in 1959 while covering the Australian tour of Pakistan. “Imran’s Summer of Fulfilment” – an account of Pakistan’s tour of England 1987 was his first book. He also compiled “KH Baloch’s Encyclopaedia of Pakistan Cricket” in 2005 and “KH Baloch’s Journey through The Bibliography of Pakistan Cricket” in 2010. He produced some of the most unusual cricket literature on the Sub-continent cricket.

With his deep interest in the origins and the subsequent growth of the game in the Sub-continent, he has a unique standing among cricket writers. Most of Khadim’s work compares with the best in Pakistan.

Khadim, who started writing regularly with the 1986-87 Pakistan-West Indies Test series, wrote for The News International, Dawn, The Cricketer (International), The Cricketer (Pakistan), World of Cricket, Cricket Herald, ABC Book and Wisden Cricket Monthly over the next two decades. An early retirement as a GP on health grounds gave Khadim more time to travel and he was determined to make the most of it.

His helpful nature won him many friends among players, administrators, coaches and media. He followed Pakistan team to England, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Zimbabwe, West Indies, New Zealand and India.

He compiled “A Century of Karachi Cricket” which exhibited his sound knowledge of the history of Karachi’s grounds, including Muslim Gymkhana, Karachi Parsee Institute, Hindu Gymkhana, Bohra Gymkhana, Karachi Goan Association, Polo Grounds, Patel Park and Jahangir Park.

His younger brother Mohammed H Baluch was co-author. In 2004, he was appointed the first Honorary Advisor to the Pakistan Cricket Board on Archives, Museum and Library.