Surviving for over 60 years as a “journalist” with dignity and professional integrity, without any favors in cash or kind, is an achievement in itself, and that too at a time when the media in general and journalists in particular are facing serious professional, ethical and moral crises. But Qamar Ahmed, or “Q” bhai, kept this image until the end. With over 400 Test matches, 10 World Cups and over 1,100 first-class matches, his name will remain unique in the history of cricket journalism. He finally came out at 89, 11 less than his century. Qamar Ahmed is dead. Long live Q, bhai.
I always found him busy with his typewriter in the 80s and with a laptop these days, whenever I went to watch a Test match or a One Day at the National Stadium in Karachi. He was a Pakistani and an Englishman in his lifestyle with his hat.
Whether or not his own country Pakistan recognized his services to this game, the cricketing world certainly recognized him.
When I last spoke to him two days before his death, he was planning another trip to London, not only for his annual medical but also to cover the upcoming Pakistan-England series, and I said, “Qamar bhai, this time I will accompany you,” and he laughed and said, “Of course, I know your love for cricket.”
About two months ago, he asked me, “Why don’t you write an article for my next book? I remember you had written some remarkable stories on cricket. Write about your experience or something exclusive,” he said. About a month ago I sent him this article. I’m not sure of the current status of the book, but he told me it’s almost ready. I hope the publisher publishes the book and donates royalties to his family.
Another unpublished book by Qamar bhai was about the Asian Bradman Zaheer Abbas, whom I interviewed in London last year at a festival in Q bhai’s absence. To my pleasant surprise, Qamar bhai texted me “excellent”. The two men had some kind of misunderstanding, because of which the book has not yet been published. But Qamar Bhai always described Zaheer as one of the greatest cricketers having scored a record of over 100 first-class centuries.
Qamar Bhai was not just a ‘cricket journalist’ but a ‘storyteller’ notable for the way he wrote about his experience as a child during ‘Partition’ and how a Hindu family protected his family and provided them with shelter. In his autobiography, “Much More Than a Game”, he told the whole story and years later, when he met them during his visit to India, with what emotion they welcomed him.
He also has a special love for Urdu poetry and music, and once told me that he had participated in the Pakistan-India Mushaira in Hyderabad, most of which were organized by my father, Mirza Abid Abbas. “I know your father, who was more than just an iconic literary figure and educationist, but also a keen cricketer and had seen me play for the Hyderabad and Sindh teams,” he said.
Although he knows almost all the important cricketers in the world and the best cricket journalists, his ‘relationship’ is with the most famous cricketer and former captain of Pakistan, Imran Khan. They had a “love and hate” relationship. In his book, he wrote an entire chapter about him. “I still believe that he should not have entered politics as a national hero and should not have become controversial,” he said.
I still remember the time when Imran Khan, in his early days in politics, came to the Karachi Press Club one day. I was sitting with Qamar Bhai and Owais Tohid. He suddenly saw us and immediately came to Qamar bhai and said, “Hello, Q.” Qamar Bhai also greeted him with a pleasant smile and asked him about his new innings i.e. politics. Imran also smiled and said, “Let’s see. The round has just started.”
Imran often discussed cricket with Owais and me, so he was not surprised to see me sitting with Qamar and said, “You are in good company.
Qamar Bhai also has a lot of stories to tell about the big brothers Mohammad and revealed what was also confirmed by his friend and youngest among the brothers, Sadiq Mohammad, that he had taken them all out, including the great Hanif Mohammad and Mushtaq Mohammad, in first-class cricket.
He is a witness to many golden ages, highs and lows of cricket, including some memorable moments, notably Pakistan’s victory in the 1992 World Cup. Perhaps not many know this, but he once told me that he had also seen the late Pir Pagaro bat for Hyderabad at the Niaz Stadium, where he almost survived a fatal spell from fast bowler Mannan, when one of his bouncers hit him, and thousands of his supporters almost rushed towards the leader, but he stopped them.
Q bhai himself, a left-arm leg-spinner, had also led Hyderabad and played for the Sindh XI, before leaving in the mid-60s for England and settling there. Until his death, his famous ‘home’ was almost a hub for top Pakistani cricketers including Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Sarfraz Nawaz, and had a lot of stories to tell.
He always described his historic and rare meeting with the legend and hero of all the oppressed classes of the world, former South African President Nelson Mandela.
As I said above, he was not only a cricket journalist but also a very social person. His relationship with Pakistan’s biggest cinema couple, Mohammad Ali and Zeba. After Ali’s death, he maintained contact with Ms. Zeba to inquire about her health. Another legendary actor of his era, Mustafa Qureshi, was a year younger than him in school. Whenever the latter visited the Karachi Press Club and saw Qamar Bhai, he made sure to sit with him for a while.
A few years ago, he went with a group of cricket lovers from Balochistan to help them develop the Gwadar cricket stadium.
With his passing, the world of cricket has lost one of its finest journalists – a complete professional who, in a career spanning over 60 years as a journalist and commentator, served the profession with honesty and integrity. Above all, he was a master ‘storyteller’, chronicling both official and unofficial controversies in cricket, from match-fixing scandals to off-field events.
I miss you, Q bhai!
The writer is a journalist and analyst for PK Press Club, Jang and The News. He can be reached on X: @MazharAbbsGEO
