Majid Khan - Fearless batting at its best
Written by English NewsPaper/Dawn/Others   

Born on 28 September 1946 in Ludhiana, in the state of Punjab in India, Khan grew up in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab in Pakistan.

His father, Jahangir Khan, had played Test cricket for India before partition. Majid Khan started his career as a pace bowler, but an injury and doubts over his technique converted him into an off-spin bowler and batsman. He also played for the teams of Glamorgan and Cambridge University in England, for Queensland, Australia, and in Pakistan for Pakistan International Airlines, Rawalpindi and the province of Punjab. Majid Khan is the son of Dr. Jahangir Khan who famously killed a bird in flight while bowling during an MCC vs. Cambridge University match in 1936. This bird is now part of the permanent MCC museum exhibit at Lord's Cricket ground. Dr. Jahangir Khan was the Chief Selector of Pakistan Cricket Board (then BCCP) when Majid Khan was close to National selection. Dr. Jahangir Khan resigned from his post to maintain impartiality of the Cricket board during selection of the national team.
 


International Career

Majid's Test career started in 1964 against Australia at National Stadium, Karachi. Khan is one of only four batsmen (the other three are Trumper, Macartney and Bradman) to have scored a century before lunch in a test match, scoring 108 not-out off 112 balls against New Zealand in Karachi during the 1976–77 test series. Khan made his ODI debut against New Zealand in 1973 at Lancaster Park, New Zealand. He also holds the unique honour of scoring the first one day century for Pakistan, in an ODI against England at Trent Bridge on 31 August 1974. Khan scored 109 from 93 balls with 16 fours and a six.

Majid had played for Lahore since 1961/62 and had made his Test debut against Australia in 1964/65 and toured England with the 1967 Pakistanis.

During a match with Glamorgan, Majid blasted a rapid 147 in 89 minutes, hitting Roger Davis for five sixes in one over. Wilf Wooller, the club secretary, had been a close friend of Majid's father when Dr Jahangir Khan had been up at Cambridge, and the influential Glamorgan secretary persuaded Glamorgan county to sign him as the overseas player from 1968. In 1972 he won the Walter Lawrence Trophy for the season’s fastest century which he scored in 70 minutes for Glamorgan against Warwickshire. He captained the Welsh county between 1973 and 1976, scored over 9000 runs punctuated with 21 first-class centuries for them. Imran Khan, the legendary Pakistani ex-captain and fast bowler, and Javed Burki are his cousins. Bazid Khan, Majid's son, has also played for Pakistan, making the family the second, after the Headleys, to have three consecutive generations of Test cricketers.

 

MajidKhan
MajidKhan

Initially, Majid Khan continued to boost Pakistan's middle order, until he was promoted to fill the opener's slot with Sadiq Mohammad in 1974.He was the first century scorer for Pakistan in One Day International Cricket, scoring 108 runs against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham in the same season. Majid Khan was also a specialist slip fielder and made most catches look easy. Khan was also well known as a "walker", maintaining the standards of the game in an era when professionalism was straining at the game's traditional etiquette.

The 1976–77 tour of West Indies was the most remarkable period for Majid Khan, where he scored scored 530 test runs against one of the most powerful bowling attacks in the history of the game.

His best innings was perhaps the 167 in Pakistan's second innings at Georgetown that saved Pakistan from likely defeat. Pakistan lost that series 2–1.

After retirement from International Cricket, Khan became an administrator with the Pakistan Cricket Board, becoming the CEO of the board in mid 1990s. He now lives in Islamabad.

Batting and fielding averages


Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 6s Ct St
Tests 63 106 5 3931 167 38.92     8 19 9 70 0
ODIs 23 22 1 786 109 37.42 1052 74.71 1 7   3 0
First-class 410 700 62 27444 241 43.01     73 128   410 0
List A 168 166 9 4441 115 28.28     2 31   43 0
Bowling averages

Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 63 60 3584 1456 27 4/45 4/56 53.92 2.43 132.7 1 0 0
ODIs 23 15 658 374 13 3/27 3/27 28.76 3.41 50.6 0 0 0
First-class 410     7168 223 6/67   32.14       4 0
List A 168   2817 1610 71 5/24 5/24 22.67 3.42 39.6 2 1 0

 

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