Lost Jobs, Noor Jehan Ending Careers and Sledging a Bleeding Sachin – India-Pakistan Anecdotes

As we gear up for another eagerly awaited India-Pakistan encounter, on Sunday at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, we go back down memory lane to unearth some weird and wonderful stories about the rivalry.

1. Indian captains have often lost their jobs following a Pakistan series, despite doing well across the border. Lala Amarnath lost his position despite winning the series 2-1 in 1952 and Kris Srikkanth was removed after drawing a four-Test series in 1989.
2. Failing against India has cost Pakistan captains dear. After losing a series to India, not only did Pakistan skipper Asif Iqbal lose his job, he lost a lot of weight, was forced to take tranquillizers and finally announced his retirement on reaching Pakistan.
3. After India’s victory on March 1, 2003 in the World Cup tie in South Africa thanks to Sachin Tendulkar’s majestic 98, at Kalighat, Kolkata’s most important religious shrine, many were seen worshipping Sachin alongside photographs of Lord Shiva, and his photos were placed inside the ashok chakra in the Indian tricolour.
4. At least two cricketers have had the distinction of playing Test cricket for both India and Pakistan, and one has also had the distinction of captaining Pakistan. They are Abdul Hafeez Kardar and Fazal Mahmood. Kardar captained Pakistan against India in 1952.
5. Hanif Mohammed, the Pakistani stalwart, had the unique distinction of having bowled over arm, under arm and left arm in one over against India in Dhaka in the first-ever Test between the two countries in 1952, the only such occasion in Test history.
6. Indo-Pak cricket has always been a sensitive issue, and on occasions cricket did transcend the boundary to initiate the peace process between the two after a long interval of almost two decades. This happened in 1978, which was the first bilateral activity since 1961.
7. The first series between the two countries to be telecast live was the 1982-3 Test series when India toured Pakistan. The Indians were mauled 0-3 with Imran Khan in devastating form for the hosts.
8. Pakistani batsman Nazar Mohammed’s career was finished after he fell in love with Noor Jehan, the legendary Pakistani singer and actress. This happened after Mohammed sneaked into Noor Jahan’s house. When the security guards chased him, he jumped out of the window and severely injured himself.
9. Only once in history, in 1954-55, did the Indians refuse to allow a certain Pakistani umpire, Idris Beg, to officiate, claiming that he wasn’t impartial.  Apparently, the night before the Test match Beg had come into the Pakistani captain Kardar’s room and asked for instructions, which the Indian skipper Amarnath had seen.
10. During the 1978 tour of Pakistan, when the bouncer rule was not in vogue, the Pakistanis, to prevent India from winning the one-day international in Peshawar, bowled balls which went way over the batsman’s head. The Pakistani umpires refused to reprimand the players, forcing India to concede the match in protest.
11. Two players played their 100^th Test match during the 1989 series between India and Pakistan. Kapil Dev played his 100^th in the first Test of the series in Karachi, while Javed Miandad played his 100^th match in Lahore in the third match of the series.
12. The first Test of the 1989 series was marred by controversy, with a salwar-kameez-clad spectator entering the field to assault the Indian captain in the post-lunch session on the first day. Srikkanth’s shirt was torn as a result of the scuffle before the security forces finally intervened.
13. During the 1989 tour of Pakistan, the Indian players weren’t allowed to step out of their hotel in Lahore. Growing restless, the players and the media organised a Sunday Club, a session of interaction, music, food and merriment. This was the only time in the last 25 years that such a thing was organised.
14. During the 1989 tour of Pakistan, the Indian players refused to accept their match fees as a result of discord with the BCCI over the amount of their fee. The junior players were, however, kept out of this controversy.
15. Sachin Tendulkar picked up three bats from the MV Malik bat factory at Sialkot during the 1989 tour of Pakistan. At the time, Sachin did not have a contract for his bat and could play with any bat he liked.
16. Sachin Tendulkar’s brother, Ajit Tendulkar, went to Pakistan for the fourth Test of the 1989 series to watch his brother play. This was the first occasion that Ajit watched Sachin bat live at the ground in a Test match.
17. Fixing is said to have originated at the infamous toss during the India-Pakistan Test match at the Eden Gardens in 1979. Asif Iqbal was the Pakistan captain, while Gundappa Viswanath was the Indian skipper. Iqbal, despite winning the toss, is said to have decreed Viswanath the winner.
18. Another Mumbai player made his debut alongside Sachin Tendulkar in Karachi. Salil Ankola, who went on to become a successful TV star, also happened to be Sachin’s roommate during the Test match.
19. Only two players have the distinction of having played in six World Cups. The first was Javed Miandad of Pakistan. Sachin Tendulkar emulated his feat when he played in the 2011 World Cup at home. Miandad played in the 1975, ’79, ‘83, ‘87, ‘92 and 1996 World Cups.
20. All the Test matches of the 1989 series were played on green tops to help the home team’s chances of beating India, except in Lahore, which produced the flattest of batting wickets. This was to help Miandad score a hundred in his 100^th He scored 145 before being bowled by Ravi Shastri.
21. When Tendulkar got hit on his nose in the fourth Test at Sialkot in 1989, a lot of the Pakistani players were concerned with what happened to the 16 year old. Only one of them continued to sledge even when Sachin was being administered treatment. The odd man out was Miandad.
22. At Centurion in the World Cup match between India and Pakistan, there was a major argument between the players of both teams at dinner break. The players involved were Mohammed Yousuf from Pakistan and Harbhajan Singh from India.
23. Interestingly, all of the decisions during Anil Kumble’s famous ten-wicket haul at the Feroze Shah Kotla in Delhi were given by umpire AV Jayaprakash from Karnataka.
24. Tendulkar had a hand in Kumble’s famous ten wickets against Pakistan at the Kotla. Every time Sachin handed over Kumble’s sweater to the umpire, he picked up a wicket. After a few times, they followed this superstition right through the innings.
25. India has never lost to Pakistan in a 50-over World Cup match. The two teams have met seven times and each time, India won – in the 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015 and 2019 World Cups.

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