KARACHI, Feb 8: Former Pakistan Test all-rounder Shujauddin Butt, who passed away in London on Tuesday at the age of 75, was a courageous cricketer despite his limitations.
An obdurate right-handed batsman and a slow left-armer, he played in 19 Tests between 1954 and 1961-62.
Shujauddin, who later served as a national selector, made his Test debut at Lord’s on Pakistan’s tour of England in 1954. He played in the famous Oval Test that Pakistan won in 1954.
He accomplished little in the Tests, but in all first-class matches he was prominent with 67 wickets and 366 runs, including the first of his six first-class centuries, 135 against Somerset at Taunton.
Shujauddin’s best Test performances came against New Zealand and Australia. His highest score was 47 against the Kiwis at Karachi in the 1955-56 series. In the same game, he claimed three for 22 in 22 overs.
He then made 45 in six hours and 18 minutes while adding 169 for the third wicket with Saeed Ahmed as Pakistan headed for a seven-wicket defeat against Richie Benaud’s Australians in the second Test at Lahore in 1959-60.
Shujauddin, who was born in Lahore on April 10, 1930, made 395 runs (ave 15.19) and captured 20 wickets (ave 40.04) in Test cricket.
He made his first-class debut at the age of 16 for Northern India in the Ranji Trophy in 1946-47 before Partition.
In 101 matches, Shujauddin accumulated 3490 runs (ave 25.28) with a best of 147 for Services against MCC at Sargodha in 1955-56. He also snared 319 wickets at an average of 21.98.
Shujauddin’s best bowling efforts were also for Services when took eight for 53 (12 for 61 in the match) against Lahore in 1961-62 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy. His 47 wickets that season then was record.
A lieutenant colonel in Pakistan Army, Shujauddin was taken prisoner in the 1971 war with India after ending his cricket career the previous season.
Shujauddin authored two books long after his retirement, From Babes to World Champions in 1994 and Chequered History of Pakistan Cricket in 2003.
He was manager of Pakistan team that toured Australia and the West Indies in the 1976-77 season.
In 2000-01, the PCB appointed him cricket analyst for a short while. He was also in-charge of PCB’s library and archives in the same period.
