Ahad Khan

Abdul Ahad Khan (born 25 September 1937 in Lahore, India (now in Pakistan)) is a former cricketer. A leg-spin bowler for the Pakistan Railways cricket team, he achieved some remarkable figures in domestic first-class cricket.

1960s

Ahad Khan made his first-class debut in December 1962. In his third match, playing for Railways against Quetta in a quarter-final of the 1962-63 Ayub Trophy, he took 5 for 29 and 4 for 32 in an innings victory.^[1]

He began the 1964-65 season by taking 5 for 122 and 3 for 35 in a friendly match for Railways against a strong Pakistan XI.^[2] In his next match, in the Ayub Trophy against Dera Ismail Khan, after not bowling in the first innings he opened the bowling in the second innings and took 9 for 7 in 6.3 overs; the other batsman was run out.^[3] A few days later he took his best match figures of 11 for 70 (8 for 42 and 3 for 28) against Lahore Education Board.^[4] A few days after that, in a quarter-final of the Ayub Trophy against Public Works Department, he took 6 for 72 and 2 for 57.^[5] He finished the season with 42 wickets at an average of 15.88.^[6]

In 1965-66 he took 6 for 33 against Peshawar,^[7] but played irregularly after that until the 1969-70 season, when he took 32 wickets at an average of only 8.18. He took 4 for 4 and 2 for 9 against Peshawar in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy,^[8] and 3 for 9 and 6 for 17 against National Bank in the Ayub Trophy.^[9]

1970s

Khan played a major part in Railways' success in 1972-73, when they won the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, and in 1973-74, when they won both the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and the Patron's Trophy. In the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy in 1972-73 he took 6 for 27 and 3 for 18 against North-West Frontier Province,^[10] then in the final against Sind he took 7 for 41 and 2 for 46 in an innings victory.^[11]

In the Patron's Trophy in 1973-74 he took 7 for 49 in the semi-final against Pakistan Universities in a match restricted by rain to one innings each,^[12] then a week later in the final against Pakistan International Airlines A he took 3 for 55 and 5 for 29 to give Railways victory by 127 runs.^[13] Later in the season, in the final of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy against Sind he took 3 for 47 and 3 for 29 and Railways won by 274 runs.^[14] He finished his most successful season with 50 wickets at 19.76.

After that his form deserted him. He took eight wickets in eight matches in 1974-75, then did not play again until 1980-81, when he took six wickets in his final two matches.^[15]

He usually batted at number 10 or 11. His highest score was 40 against Sargodha in 1963-64, when he took part in a last-wicket partnership of 86.^[16]

References

External links

• Ahad Khan at Cricket Archive