Name Hindi: वजीर अली / Gender Man
Wazir Ali: A Legend in the Cricketing World
Wazir Ali, often considered one of the stalwarts from Pakistan’s cricket history, had a significant role in shaping the early years of cricket in his country. Although he began his career even before the creation of Pakistan and originally played for undivided India, Wazir Ali managed to carve a niche for himself as an influential figure on both sides of the border.
Early Life and Background
Born on September 15, 1905, Wali Muhammad Wazir Ali hailed from Jalandhar in Punjab, British India. He was not alone in pursuing crickets; his younger brother Nazir Ali also became an accomplished cricketer.
International Debut
His international debut came against England during their team’s tour to India in December 1930. Here, he represented the then undivided Indian team under captaincy of CGA Colquhoun. Known for his aggressive batting style and excellent fielding skills, henceforth becoming an integral part of the national team.
Career Highlights
- In total, Wazir featured in seven tests scoring 298 runs with an average of 21.28.
- In first class cricket,the right-handed batsman had scored a staggering 7,913 runs at an impressive average of 32.07, inclusive of fifteen hundreds and thirty-eight fifties.
- The top score among these remains his incredible knock of 315 against Army.
Late Career and Importance to Pakistani Cricket
A notable part of his cricketing career and his life was the time when he moved to Pakistan after partition in 1947. Wazir not only played cricket there but also served as an important figure towards promoting and structuring cricket. His efforts had led him to become a chief selector and coach for the national team which undoubtably proved his worth beyond being merely a player.
National Honors and Recognition
- In honor of his services to cricket, both India and Pakistan appreciated him with national awards.
- In 1962, he received Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Distinction) by Government of Pakistan, one of the highest civilian awards in Pakistan.
Apart from cricket,Wazir Ali pursued law education and later became Lawyer in Lahore High Court,Pakistan.In personal life,private yet humble soul thoroughly committed towards his profession.
Analysed retrospectively, it becomes quite clear that Wizir Ali’s contribution went far beyond scoring runs or taking catches on field.His impact is seen off-field too.In certain way,his powerful journey represents early cricketing history shared by two nations:
Death
Wazir left this world at age of 66 on May 17th ,1974 due to heart disease>
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To summarize, Wazir Ali’s remarkable sporting achievements along with service towards development of game played integral role making him memorable personality in sports fraternity till today.
