Wallis Mathias (1935-1994) was the first Christian to play Test Cricket for Pakistan. Born, raised, and educated in Karachi, he played 21 matches and 146 first-class matches in which he scored 7,520 runs with an average of 44.49 runs, including 16 centuries and 41 half-centuries. He held 130 catches, 22 spectacular ones in Tests. His highest Test score was 77 runs and 278 not out in domestic cricket. He was the first Captain of the National Bank of Pakistan and a National Test Selector. A gentle giant, he was cricket’s much-respected man in all echelons of cricket’s hierarchy and fraternity in Pakistan.

Wallis Mathias was known as cricket’s most revered ‘gentleman cricketer’ for his noble demeanor both on and off the field, his ineffable character, and his smiling face under any circumstances. He was a friendly person and a great human being, with qualities of mind and heart, he inherited from his hardworking parents, his cricket mentoring in school and the community at large.

In the annals of cricket history, the sport has witnessed the rise of numerous legends who have etched their names in the hearts of fans worldwide. Every cricketer who has played with Wallis in the domestic season or in Test matches has said that if there was a gentleman cricketer who personified the game of cricket, both on and off the field, it was Wallis. There has never been another cricketer of his character since then.

Wallis possessed an overwhelming charm that endeared him to fans and fellow players alike. What truly set him apart, however, was his friendly disposition. His warm approachable nature was not just a reflection of his amicability but a passion for the game he loved dearly and as a symbol of his resilient spirit.

The foundation of Wallis’s remarkable character was laid by his rearing at home, and his mentors at St. Pat’s School and in the community, who instilled in him the values of humility, respect, and kindness. His upbringing in Karachi, a diverse and vibrant city, further enriched his character, fostering an inclusive and welcoming attitude. Thus, his nurturing played a pivotal role in shaping him into the gentleman cricketer he would become.

The legendary Hanif Mohammad (1934-2016), former captain of Pakistan, in his foreword in ‘The Life and Times of a Gentleman Cricketer” a memorial on Wallis Mathias by Dr. Khadim Hussain Baloch, writes, “What comes to my mind was his character. The standard of school cricket was comparable to that at the national level; Wallis played for St. Pat’s, and I played for Sindh Madrassah. It was during this period that our friendship grew, and I came to know and admire this wonderful person who always played the game in its true spirit.”

Those who had the privilege of sharing the field with Wallis Mathias attest to his transformative presence. He was not just a player but a motivator, a source of inspiration, and a beacon of sportsmanship. In a sport often marred by fierce competition, rivalries, and controversies, Wallis stood out as a shining example of how grace, character, and camaraderie could thrive even in the heat of battle.

Wallis Mathais’s legacy is not just about runs scored, wickets taken, or catches held; it is about the enduring power of sportsmanship and the influence of a good-hearted individual. He showed the world that being a gentleman on and off the field is not a relic of the past but a timeless virtue that continues to inspire generations of cricketers.

THE MAN OF CRISIS

His cricketing talent was unique, especially in times of crisis when he came on to bat with all top-order batters back in the pavilion. He would simply play with his head down, concentrate on the job to save the side and build on an inning to reach a defendable score. He did that on numerous occasions for the Pakistan team in many Test matches.

Wallis excelled in building partnerships by supporting senior batters who piled up huge individual scores, particularly the great Hanif Mohammad. They were contemporaries in Karachi’s competitive schools’ cricket. When the first and original ‘Little Master’ (as Hanif was referred to by the media) scored his world record-breaking 499 runs in the 1959 domestic season, and a mammoth 337 against the mighty West Indians in the 1957-58 Test series in the Caribbean, it was Wallis Mathias who kept the other end secured. Such was his tenacity as a dependable batter.

In the chronicles of cricketing history, some players excel in skill and possess a unique ability to shine when their team faces a crisis. Wallis Mathias was one such cricketer whose remarkable talent and unwavering composure during crises made him an asset for the Pakistan cricket team.

Khalid Wazir, a former Pakistan Test player while playing together in the finals of the Rubie Shield against the fearsome Ikram Elahi says, “Wallis would walk in as cool as a cucumber and play off Ikram without any signs of anxiety or nervousness. No matter what the crisis, Wallis would avert it. One could count on him; he was always reliable.”

Commenting on how difficult it was to get Wallis out, Elahi, the former Pakistan pacer wrote, “He was a friend from the days of my youth and such a lovely man; he always wished everybody well. I was indeed the scourge of school cricket, but I never got the better of Wallis, he was such a correct and gutsy batsman.”

THE DACCA HERO

The Dacca (now called Dhaka, Bangladesh) Test of 1959 against the mighty West Indies was hailed as the ‘Wallis Mathias Test’ who played the sheet-anchor role in a low-scoring match. Speedsters Wesley Hall of the West Indies and Fazal Mahmood of Pakistan had ripped through the innings of the opposing teams. Wallis was unnerved and top-scored in both innings of Pakistan, with scores of 64 in a total of 145, and 45 invaluable runs in a total of 144 runs, leaving the Caribbeans to score 214 to win. They were humbled by Fazal, falling short of 41 runs.

Col. Shujauddin who played with Wallis in both innings said, “Wallis remained unflappable against a sea of bouncers from Hall and company,” while the West Indian team manager Berkley Gaskin concluded, “Without that young man Wallis, Pakistan would never have made it.”

Test cricket is known for its grueling and mentally demanding nature, and Wallis Mathias was a master at handling the psychological aspects of the game. His presence in the middle order gave the team a sense of stability and reassurance. When his side needed someone to wither the storm, Wallis was the man they could rely on. He was Pakistan’s trump card and a man of crisis.

A SLIP-FIELDER WITH THE SAFEST PAIR OF HANDS

The Pakistan cricket team of the 1950s had some of the great fast bowlers of that time but unfortunately not many good fielders, especially in the slips cordon. Many catches that came off the bowling of the seamers went past the slip fielders or catches were dropped. The team desperately needed a safe and dependable pair of hands.

Col. Shujauddin Butt (1930-2006), former Test player and manager of Pakistan squads, says, “Kardar was a shrewd captain. He put all his faith into the three medium pacers, Fazal Mahmood, Khan Mohammad, and Mehmood Hussain, as his match strategy evolved around them. Had we held our catches in the slips, we would have won more matches.

Alimuddin, Wazir, Zulfikar, Maqsood, and I all dropped more than we held. From this point of view, Kardar finding Wallis was like discovering a gem. Wallis became a major piece of the chessboard that Kardar was trying to build to perfection.”

Wallis Mathias was a successful slip fielder in the domestic season, and it was not long before skipper Abdul Hafeez Kardar (1925-1996) spotted the prolific catcher and summoned him to don the Test cap. In the 21 Tests he played for Pakistan, Wallis proved to be the best, not just in Pakistan but was adjudged by the Test greats of that time to be among the ‘best in the world’. It was a joy and amazement to watch Wallis snap up catches in the slips in the flash of an eye, diving or jumping overhead to catch the ball.

Several cricket notations reveal that he was a gifted slip fielder with exceptional reflexes and the safest pair of hands. The 1995 copy of Wisden (pg. 1388) notes, “...his great skill was to make hard chances look simple.” Pakistan’s first wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed (1928-2016), who stood close to Wallis said, “Wallis was Pakistan’s first good slip fielder who changed the atmosphere in the slip cordon”.

The prowess of fast bowlers often takes the spotlight, but it’s the unsung heroes in the slips cordon who play a pivotal role in changing the course of a match. Wallis Mathias carved his niche as one of the greatest slip fielders of his era. His extraordinary skills in the slips were evident in the domestic season, where he consistently showcased his ability to pluck catches out of thin air. His incredible reflexes and impeccable anticipation made him a fielder par excellence.

In the cricketing world where slip fielding is considered one of the most demanding skills, Wallis Mathias’s excellence set a standard among his contemporaries. He transformed the slip cordon from a liability to strength, helping the Pakistan cricket team turn the tide of matches with his remarkable fielding abilities.

As we remember the legends of cricket, let us not forget the unsung heroes like Wallis Mathias, whose contributions in the field were just as instrumental in shaping the destiny of a match as the bowlers who hurled the deliveries and batsmen who notched up big scores. His legacy as a great slip-fielder is fondly remembered by folks who saw him in action, and many who remember him to this day.

The words of former Pakistan player and administrator Col. Shujauddin Butt aptly recap the great sportsman, “Wallis was such a lovely man. A prince amongst players, I never saw him utter a word in anger and yet he was so upright and honest. Wallis may have been the only gentleman of Pakistan cricket.”

All quotes from the book, “Wallis Mathias – The Gentleman Cricketer’ by Dr. Khadim Hussain Baloch.

– The writer is a sports enthusiast and a marketing & communications
consultant   meninr@gmail.com