by Arunabha Sengupta
I’m just a face in the crowd
You probably don’t know me as I don’t stand out
The only reason Tauseef Ahmed could have stood out was probably his uncanny resemblance to Lionel Richie. But at that time Richie had also not started making headlines.
He had played just one first-class match, for the Public Works Department against Pakistan International Airlines, and his figures, 2 for 77 and 3 for 22, although not unimpressive, were not really remarkable.
After that he had gone back to the wilderness of club cricket.
What they played
Was a masquerade
From behind the walls of doubt
A voice was crying out
And then he was asked to bowl at the nets to the Pakistan batsmen as they geared up to play Australia at Karachi. The skipper Javed Miandad insists that it was his businessman friend Riaz Malik, who managed a competent club side, who recommended him. However, there are others who say that Tauseef took a bus from his home to the National Stadium nets at the insistence of Pakistan coach Mushtaq Mohammad. His off-breaks were naggingly accurate and turned sharply. Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas and Miandad himself were all beaten several times.
Ilyas Khan had been scheduled to play as the off-spinner in the Test. 101 wickets in first-class cricket, now in his fifth season, averaging 29.49. He was cast aside, and never played Test cricket. Tauseef was asked to share a room with Zaheer Abbas and play in the Test match.
As Miandad put it, “Tauseef walked into the Pakistan Test side literally as a nobody off the street.”
Iqbal Qasim 4 for 69, Tauseef 4 for 64. In the second innings it was Qasim who caused the landslide, with 7 for 49. Tauseef picked up the rest, 3 for 62. His wickets included Graham Yallop, Greg Chappell and Kim Hughes (twice)
Quite a debut. Two years before Lionel Richie’s debut solo album.
In 1986-87, two years after ‘Hello’ had emerged as a runaway hit,. Qasim and Tauseef did it again. This time at Bangalore. First innings Qasim 5 for 48, Tauseef 5 for 54. Second innings Qasim 4 for 73, Tauseef 4 for 73. Pakistan won their first ever series in India.
The Pakistan selectors alternated him with the older office Mohammad Nazir. However, Tauseef managed to play 34 Tests and pick up 93 wickets, at 31.72. His average and economy rate are both better than the generally more highly rated Abdul Qadir. Especially as the wicket became more worn, he became a handful. In the second innings, his wickets came at 24.35.
Tauseef was a dogged batsman as well. He tapped the crucial single off the penultimate ball before Miandad swung Chetan Sharma for that famous Sharjah six. He often stood at the other end as Imran Khan added crucial runs or Wasim Akram whacked vital sixes off West Indian fast bowlers.
Tauseef Ahmed was born on May 10, 1958.