IN 1974, I was manager of the Pakistan team during its tour of England. I was a media person and managing teams was a new experience for me. I also had some misgivings.
Pakistani players had a reputation of being fiercely independent and could create problems. In his briefing to me, Kardar had told me not accept any nonsense and if need be send back one or two of the more troublesome ones. I chose to do it my way.
When we reached London, I gathered the team together and told them that I was the manager of the team and not its nurse-maid. There would be no rules and the players were free to come and go as they pleased but I expected them to be on the team bus on time and fully fit. Intikhab Alam was the captain and I told him there would be no interference from me. ‘Inthi’ is one of those easy going type, no swagger, no arrogance and it is impossible not to like him. Zafar Altaf was the associate manager and I left the nitty-gritty to him, which he handled expertly.
One of the points I made to the team was that I didn’t like to lose and there would be no slack periods and no game was unimportant. While the team had social freedom, on the field the players were expected to give their hundred per cent.
Every touring team has its characters and this one had more than its share. Where there is more than one person a conflict is bound to take place. This is the core of existenalistism. But conflicts should be localized and must not spill over and damage team unity. My doors were shut to personal quarrels and the players had to sort them out themselves.
A team that had Aftab Gul and Sarfaraz Nawaz in it had in theory a ticking time bomb. I had made them room-mates. Both had the tendency to tilt at windmills. But no one contributed more to the enjoyment of the tour than these two and many a long coach journey was enlivened by the banter between them. All good natured and I would go and sit with them and listen to Gul on Sarfaraz and Sarfaraz on Gul and the two of them on the other players.
Aftab Gul is a lawyer and was a student-leader; he was a brilliant opening batsman who unfortunately damaged his hand in a car door and was out for the early matches. When he was fit again, he lost his place to Majid Khan who had been elevated to open the innings. Aftab Gul and I have remained friends and though we very rarely talk about cricket, he is a very well read man with books his passion, once in a while he will make known his cryptic views. But he seems to have too many irons in the fire and cricket is the loser for the game needs someone like him who is not afraid to speak his mind.
Gul likes to believe that he is a cynic and behind his bluster what he perceives to be intellectual cockiness is a very kind and caring friend. I know that he has forgiven me for leaving him behind in Canterbury. We were all seated in the team bus but there was no Aftab Gul! We caught a glimpse of him in the distance, sauntering towards the bus, stopping to exchange pleasantries or sign autographs. I looked at my watch and time was up and I told the driver to get going.
Aftab Gul came to see me later that evening. He was very dignified in his indignation. He expressed this indignation in legal terms and demanded that he be paid the train fare from Canterbury. I told him that I would do so but would fine him the exact amount for being late. “I have accepted that logic.” He said somewhat grandly. It was his way of saying there were no hard feelings. He has remained a close friend.
Sarfaraz Nawaz was the poker player who dared you to call his bluff. One morning in Manchester, he came to my room draped in only his bath towel. He told me he couldn’t play because he had a toothache and wanted to return to London. I told him that I had no problems with that and indeed would set up an appointment with a dentist. “Of course he may want to extract the tooth.” That was fine by him. A few minutes later, he returned and told me that he had had a hot cup of tea and was now feeling fine.
We were playing Lancashire and I told him that we should try and finish the game in two days and we could all go back to London for the free day we would gain. And that’s exactly what happened. Sarfaraz bowled a magnificent spell and took seven wickets in Lancashire’s first innings. Big Saf has been the stormy petrel of Pakistan cricket but he was one of the most valuable member of the team. In later years, whenever I went to Lahore, he would invite me to his home for dinner and we spent many a hilarious evening together.
There as Asif Masood who looked like a film villain with his handle-bar moustache. We called him ‘Paulo’, after the Brazilian football player, and he seemed to like being called. He was a team man and he bowled many long spells, never complaining, always trying. I grew very fond of him.
For a fast bowler he had a remarkably calm temperament. There is one particular incident that I recall. I was telephoned by some organizer of a local Pakistani community in some small town. He invited the team to a reception that had been arranged that afternoon. I told him that the notice was too short and in any case it was the team’s off-day and I would not be able to round up the players. He got very shirty and typically threatened to take up the matter with the higher authorities. I told him to keep his shirt on and I would come to the reception but the players would not. Asif Masood learnt of this and he volunteered to accompany me and he got some of the other players to do so.
I made a short speech at the reception and said that while we appreciated the support of the local community, the team needed to spend some time with itself. There were other characters on that tour and I hope to write about them. But it was a happy tour and Wisden acknowledged it as one of the most popular teams to tour England. And we did not lose a single match. Not since Bradman’s 1948 team had gone undefeated on an England tour.
IN 1974, I was manager of the Pakistan team during its tour of England. I was a media person and managing teams was a new experience for me. I also had some misgivings.
