LAHORE: Former Test fast bowler Farooq Hameed, who played only one Test for the national side, died here on Thursday at the age of 80 due to cancer.
The right-arm quick Farooq had played 43 first-class matches from 1961 to 1970 for Pakistan and picked up 111 wickets at an average of 25.21.
His solitary international outing was against Australia in 1964, a match in which he dismissed Australian great Ian Chappell at the Melbourne Cricket ground.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences to the bereaved family.
“Farooq Hamid brought great honour to Pakistan through his performance in sports,” Shehbaz said in a statement.
Many ex-Pakistan cricketers deemed Farooq as one of the fastest bowler they had ever faced. One familiar name was legendary Pakistani batter Majid Khan.
“It is a sad day to lose Farooq Hameed who was the fastest bowler of his time in the world,“Majid told Dawn. “May Allah grant him Jannat and patience to his dear ones for their loss.”
Former wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed and ex-chief selector Mohammad Ilyas also echoed Majid’s sentiments.
“Farooq was the fastest bowler I had ever seen,” Imtiaz said. “He was even quicker than former England’s fast bowler Frank Tyson.”
Ilyas, while talking to Dawn, told that the reason for Farooq’s short international career is his straight-forward attitude.
“It was sad that his international career was a short one, just because the PCB’s system could not bear his straight-forward attitude,“Ilyas said.
Farooq retired at the early age of 25 “in utter disappointment due to dirty politics.”
Besides cricket, Farooq, who took three five-wicket hauls in first class, was Pakistan’s champion in the discipline of javelin throw.
Farooq belonged to a family who had major contributions in Pakistan’s sports sphere.
Farooq’s sister Tahira — who passed away in 2020 — was the founder of women’s cricket in Pakistan when it was started in the country back in mid-1975.
His father S. A Hameed had also represented All-India as an athlete in the Melbourne’s Olympics and was the first secretary general of the Pakistan Olympic Association.
Farooq also led the campaign to raise the pension of retired Test cricketers. His demand was fulfiled later by ex-Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja.
His funeral prayers will be held on Saturday, after Zuhr here at the Khalid Masjid, Cavalary ground.
Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2025
