This used to be my playground …
As an ardent fan of cricket during my school and college days, I was a frequent visitor to the Bagh-e-Jinnah ground in Lahore. That was the ground in the 1950s where all the cricket leagues and Test matches were played. It is fascinating to know that a cricket museum has been established in the historic pavilion of Bagh-e-Jinnah (Caught behind by Qamar Ahmed, May 8).
Being a cricket enthusiast, I was keen to get closer to the Test cricketers and take their autograph on a book purchased in 1957. I would keep myself updated about international cricket teams’ visits to Lahore by regularly reading the sports page of the daily Pakistan Times. With my autograph book in hand, I would enter the touring cricketers’ buses, hotel lobbies, venues of net practice and even the pavilion of Bagh-e-Jinnah. Since there were no security risks to the cricketers then, I would not be stopped by anyone from fulfilling my motive.