Saeed Ahmed, who passed away in Lahore on March 20, ranks among Pakistan’s greatest batters.

Pakistan debuted in Test cricket in 1952. During the first five years, the country’s batting mainly depended on Hanif Mohammad, the only world-class batter in the side.

When Pakistan toured the West Indies in 1957-58, upper-order batter Saeed Ahmed made his first appearance — Pakistan’s second world-class batter had arrived. In the five Tests, he scored 508 runs at an average of 56. There was no looking back.

Saeed remained a tower of strength throughout. At the time of his exit from the Test arena in 1972, his run aggregate of 2,991 was second only to that of Hanif Mohammad and his average of 40.41 was slightly below that of the little master’s. Also a useful off-spinner, he claimed 22 scalps.

He was born in Jalandhar in 1937. His family moved to Lahore in 1947. The local club cricket was very competitive. The strongest was the Universal Club which boasted several big names in Pakistan cricket including Fazal Mahmood, Imtiaz Ahmed and Waqar Hassan. It speaks of Saeed’s precocious talent that he gained selection. His game further flourished when he joined Government College, Lahore.

The rivalry between Government College and Islamia College was very intense. The Punjab University final always figured the two. Around two-thirds of the Pakistan side came from the two institutions. With a general holiday for the students of the two colleges, the boys thronged the ground all three days. The players were cheered and jeered. The pressure cooker environment did a world of good for the players to develop a big match temperament. Later, Saeed switched to Islamia College.

Having made his first-class debut in 1954, he had a sensational maiden Test series against the West Indies in 1957-8. In the return series against the West Indies at home the next year, facing the world’s fastest bowler Wesley Hall, Saeed topped Pakistan’s averages. In his 11th Test, against Australia in 1959, the dashing batter completed 1,000 runs — the fastest to get there in post-war cricket at the time and fastest Pakistani till today.

His highest Test score of 172 was against New Zealand in 1964 at Karachi. But his finest innings came against Australia in 1959 at Lahore. When Pakistan began the second innings, they were in a deficit of around 250 runs with an innings defeat looming for the first time at home. Saeed in a remarkable display of concentration defied the strong Aussie attack for over six hours for a classic 166. Pakistan lost by seven wickets but it was a glorious knock.

Some critics point out that he thrived on firm pitches and struggled on the seaming wickets of England. Saeed didn’t get a hundred in England. But his performance was quite good there. The 1962 tour is the worst in the country’s history. In the five-Test series, England thrashed Pakistan 4-0. In the drawn test, rain allowed only 3 and 1/2 days of play. Otherwise, it would have been a whitewash as having followed on, Pakistan at 216/6 were only seven runs ahead when the play ended on the fifth day. Saeed had a major role. On the last day, he scored 68 and his partnership of 102 with Mushtaq Mohammad helped Pakistan play out the time. Saeed was the team’s second top scorer with 302 runs at 30.2. Hanif managed only 177 at a miserable average of 17.7.

On their next visit to England in 1967, Pakistan did slightly better. It was a three-Test series. After an honourable draw in the first, England had big victories, by 10 and eight wickets. In the second Test, had it not been for Saeed, Pakistan might have had the ignominy of being dismissed for less than 100 runs in both innings - this has happened only 17 times in almost 150 years of Test match history. Saeed scored 44 out of 140 in the first innings while his contribution in the second was 68 out of 114. Saeed`s 68 was described as one of the best displays of batting in the entire 1967 English season.

Saeed’s only tenure as Pakistan captain came against England at home in 1968-69. The country was in political turmoil. People were out against Ayub Khan’s autocratic rule. Saeed was the darling of the crowd in his hometown of Lahore. In the first Test at Lahore, Pakistan, facing an uphill target of 323, fell to 156-5. Brothers Hanif and Mushtaq batted surely and slowly and the match ended in a draw. The crowd jeered them for being boring. The last Test of the series, which saw no result in any match, was at Karachi where Hanif was the favourite. Already annoyed with Hanif’s sacking as the captain, the Karachi crowd made it difficult for Saeed. The Karachi Test was abandoned on the third day with no play on the last two days as well. The Hanif-Saeed factor contributed to the already charged political atmosphere.

When New Zealand arrived in Pakistan in 1969-70, they were the weakest Test-playing nation — Bangladesh of that era. The selectors decided to try new talent. No less than five players were blooded in the three Tests. Some seniors, including Saeed, were not selected. The audacity backfired. New Zealand won the series 1-0 - the first for them in almost 40-year Test history. Incidentally one of the debutants was Saeed’s younger brother Younis Ahmed. Younis was later banned by the Pakistan authorities for playing in South Africa in 1973. The left-hander excelled at the English county circuit- top run-getter in first-class among all Pakistanis. The ban was lifted in the late 1970s but Younis made himself available for Pakistan only when his county career was over in 1986. He was recalled in the middle of Pakistan’s tour of India in 1987 and appeared in two Tests. But he was past his prime.

Saeed almost always played at no 3. During the 1971 tour of England, Saeed told the management that he would bat at a lower position. Zaheer Abbas played at no 3 and did exceedingly well. Saeed was only selected for the third Test when Majid Khan was unavailable as he had to represent Cambridge University in the match against Oxford University.

Pakistan were scheduled to tour Australia and New Zealand in 1972-73. The board arranged a trial match. Saeed’s name was missing. He enjoyed good relations with federal minister Abdul Hafeez Peerzada who admonished the board, “Saeed is good enough to be among the top 22 of the country”. Motivated by vengeance, he scored a century and took six wickets in an innings.

In Australia, Saeed came at no 6 in the opening Test’s first innings. Opener Talat Ali fractured his hand. Saeed opened in the second innings, and also in both the innings of the second Test. With scores of 36, 39, 50 and 6, he did reasonably well.

Then came his much-talked-about exit from Test cricket. In the second Test, he had a noisy argument with legendary paceman Dennis Lillie. Infuriated, Lillie vowed revenge. Saeed declared himself unfit for the third Test. Board’s President A.H.Kardar was present and doubted his injury. Saeed was sent home.

In 1977-78, the rebel World Series Cricket lured the entire Australian team as well as leading English, Pakistani, South African and West Indian players. Saeed was active in Lahore’s club cricket and was performing well. Surprisingly, he was called to play for the Governor’s XI in Peshawar against the touring England team. An overweight Saeed, who last played first-class more than five years back, failed (0 & 3 runs).

A Pride of Performance awardee in 1962, when in full flow, six foot tall Saeed was a sight to cherish. He played all the strokes with authority. His drives rocketed through in the blink of an eye. He also played a queer ‘streaky’ shot over the slips region. Not for the purists, it nevertheless fetched him runs.

Saeed married renowned businesswoman Salma Ahmed, and became involved in the business. The marriage failed and with it the business endeavours. In 1980, he joined Tablighi Jamaat as a preacher. The debonair partygoer grew a beard. His Western wardrobe was replaced with a turban and shalwar kameez. He had very little social interaction thereafter.

He might have been out of public sight for many years but Saeed’s name is enshrined in Pakistan’s cricket history — other than Hanif, the country’s only world-class batter in the 1950s & 1960s.

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