KARACHI: Former Test players Saleem Yousuf and Rashid Khan will be honoured by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) during the lunch interval on day four of the second and final Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka here at the National Stadium.

According to PCB media director Samiul Hasan, Saleem and Rashid will be presented with mementos as token of their participation in Pakistan’s inaugural Test against Sri Lanka, which was staged at this venue in March 1982.

Rashid, who turned 60 last Sunday, was a paceman who used to bowl off the wrong foot. On his Test debut against Sri Lankans Rashid first excelled with the bat, making 59. He dismissed Sri Lankan opener Sidath Wettimuny in both innings of that Karachi Test, and also took the wicket of Ranjan Madugalle, who later captained his country and is now currently the International Cricket Council’s chief match referee.

Wicket-keeper/batsman Saleem also made his Test debut in the same match. And although he scored just four runs in the first innings, Saleem — affectionately known in the cricketing circles as ‘Tiger’ — made six dismissals, including four in the second innings while helping Pakistan record a thumping win by 204 runs.

Apart from Rashid and Saleem, there were two other debutants in that Test. Saleem Malik scored an unbeaten century in the second innings, while paceman Tahir Naqqash hit 57 in the first innings and picked up five wickets in the game.

During last week’s landmark Test in Rawalpindi — the first in Pakistan after a gap of 10 years and nine months — Javed Miandad and Bandula Warnapura, who led their respective countries in the 1982 Karachi Test, were also honoured by the PCB.

“Honouring Rashid and Saleem on Sunday is continuation of PCB’s drive to respect our former national players. During the Rawalpindi Test we honoured Miandad and Warnapura,” Sami told Dawn on Friday. “We have devised a policy to remember our stars of the past as well as some foreign players [and officials] because of their meritorious services for the game. And since Saleem Malik and Tahir are not based in Karachi, we will be acknowledging them later.”

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2019