Omar Kureishi
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Omar Kureishi
The voice of Pakistan Cricket
By Inayat Baloch
THIS is a moment of pain and grief as I pen down these lines on the second anniversary of the death of a gifted intellectual and a cricket commentator par excellence whose vibrant voice went off the air forever on March 14, 2005. The power of destiny is so compulsive that it makes us believe the unbelievable; Omar Kureishi is no more with us. Yes, even after a couple of years, it is hard to believe that for anyone who had an interaction with the man that Omar Kureishi was. A long, brilliant and matchless innings came to an end with his death. The voice of cricket came to a complete silence.
A well-known writer, an eminent columnist for cricket lovers as well as general readers, he was very popular in Pakistan, South Africa and other parts of the world. But it was through the air waves of Radio Pakistan that his craft was detected and a legend was discovered. He became synonymous with the game of cricket and a heart throb of multitudes of his listeners who remained glued to their radio sets to listen to his lucid description of cricket matches around the world.
From the very beginning in the 1950s, he became the voice of Pakistan Cricket. Nobody ever ventured to surpass him, as no one could come even close to where he was. Nothing escaped his eye on the ground, and he had the skilful art of amusing his listeners by converting sights into sounds with perfect accuracy and artistry. No wonder, his listeners remained engrossed with his charismatic ball-to-ball account of the matches. His commentary bestowed grace and glory to cricket and won immense admiration, love and affection of radio listeners in Pakistan and abroad.
I consider myself fortunate to be able to cherish the fond memories of being in the exalted company of Omar Kureishi during two cricket World Cup tournaments as Radio Pakistan’s representative. First it was 1983 where the 3rd Prudential World Cup was played on the grounds of England and Wales, and then it was 1992 for the fifth World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand where Pakistan lifted the world title against the run of play.
It was Pakistan’s first match against Sri Lanka at St. Helen’s ground in Swansea (Wales) on June 09, 1983 that I, after the traditional opening words in my capacity as the producer, invited Omar Kureishi to take up the microphone. Although top class commentators like Iftikhar Ahmed (Ifti), Muneer Hussain and Hassan Jalil were also there, but Omar Kureishi was the crowned king of the commentary box and whenever he was there, he was always the one to lead off at every ground.
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the first match and Omar’s cute comments, spontaneity of expression and the lucidity of his random remarks, spoke volumes for his expertise on the game and the brilliance of his description.
The second anniversary of Omar Kureishi’s death falls on March 14
I have unforgettable memories of the third World Cup simply because the four of us – Omar Kureishi, Iftikhar Ahmed, cricketer Majid Khan and myself – travelled together in the car from one cricket ground to the other throughout the tournament. Our views on matches, jokes, gossips, pleasantries and full-throated laughters also become our faithful companions during the motorway excursions. Iftikhar used to address Omar Kureishi as ‘Ustad’, or master. Majid Khan, though he often differed with him on technicalities of the game or players’ performance, never forgot to pay due reverence while talking to him.
Omar Kureishi was so kind to me personally that he later wrote a few nice words about my travelogues as follows: “I have the fondest memories of the 1983 World Cup in England. The only disappointment was that Pakistan did not win it … (As a broadcaster) I have arrived at matches to find that the lines had not been booked. Not so in 1983 and I think the man most responsible for such a smooth tour was our producer, Inayat Baloch. Professionally he was unbeatable. He never lost an argument with the BBC engineers, but most of all, he was a wonderful companion and his cheerfulness was infectious.
“We travelled throughout England by car and when our spirits were low, there was always Inayat Baloch showing us how incredibly beautiful the English countryside was.
“I was to team up with him again in the fifth World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 1992; though the circumstances were slightly different. Cricket commentary too had fallen victim to ‘politics’ and there wasn’t the same harmony in the commentary box. Inayat did his best to smooth the ruffled feathers. He could hardly be held responsible for the ‘conspiracies’ hatched at other levels. Still he did his best and we were able to get through the broadcast without any hassle.”
Pakistan lost the semi final to West Indies at The Oval on June 22, 1983, and Omar was a bit harsh on Pakistan team on its pathetic performance. Majid Khan tried to argue, but Oar Kureishi was so emphatic in his overview of the match that Majid, who was available to us for his expert comments, had to agree with his views.
We were again together as a team of broadcasters in the fifth Cricket World Cup in 1992. Despite dim chances, Pakistan emerged victorious and won the coveted Cup. Scores of memorable moments flash in my mind right now and it is difficult to choose which one to write about. When Pakistan team beat New Zealand at the Eden Park ground, Auckland, on March 21, 1992, I requested the then Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasim Hassan Shah, who was also the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP), as well as General Zahid Akbar, the then BCCP secretary, to accompany me in the commentary box for their comments on Pakistan’s victory in the semi-final. Both Omar Kureishi and Iftikhar Ahmed interviewed them in English, and Muneer Hussain did the job in Urdu. Frankly, neither the chief justice nor the general could match the tone or tenor of Omar Kureishi’s sharp and vivacious voice that was always in absolute command.
Finally, skipper Imran Khan obliged by accompanying me to the commentary box and again Omar Kureishi started taking his comments on winning the crucial match against the Kiwis. I wish I could have recorded that interview so as to acquaint my worthy readers about the acumen, expertise and mastery of Omar Kureishi’s talent of conjuring up thousands of his listeners who remained constantly tuned to the radio sets.Omar was, indeed, a creative genius. Many indelible marks of his creativity are vividly visible wherever he performed and in whatever capacity. ‘Great People to Fly With’, for instance, was slogan that he crafted and gifted to Pakistan International Airlines during his association with the institution.
He had an inherent sense of humour that often worked wonders during his commentary stints and he could change the mood of the listeners whenever they were not happy with the state of the game. Omar Kureishi would always be alive in the hearts of cricket lovers and the readers of his columns and so many books.
