The domestic cricket season in Pakistan traditionally unfolds during the cooler autumn and winter months, offering a respite from the searing summer heat. However, the 1970/71 cricket season was anything but ordinary, unfolding against the backdrop of political upheaval that would forever alter the nation's trajectory. As the nation grappled with epoch-making events, cricket too underwent profound changes, reflecting the turbulent winds of the time.
Politics Meets Cricket: A Nation at a
Crossroads
In December
1970, Pakistan held its first national and provincial elections based on
universal adult suffrage, heralding a new era of political accountability. Yet,
the aftermath of these elections unleashed a tempest of discontent,
particularly in East Pakistan, where the political and cultural divide between
the two wings of the country reached a breaking point. Amid this turmoil,
cricket, often seen as a unifying force, became a stage where the broader currents
of change played out.
The Ayub
Trophy, a staple of Pakistan’s cricketing calendar, was rebranded as the BCCP
Trophy under the administration of a new government in Islamabad. Cricket
tournaments, like the inaugural National Under-19 Championship, were
introduced, fostering talent from both wings of the country. Divided into East
and West Zones, this competition mirrored the duality of a nation already
straining under its internal divisions.
East Pakistan’s Moment in the Sun
In East
Pakistan, the National Under-19 Championship showcased Dhaka as the hub of
cricketing activity. The East Zone’s final was a dramatic affair, with the East
Pakistan Sports Federation Under-19 side, led by a young Raqibul Hasan,
defeating the Dhaka Education Board team. Tanvir Mazhar Tanna’s extraordinary
all-round performance—107 runs and 8 wickets—underscored the talent brewing in
the region.
The
national final, hosted in Dhaka, saw East Pakistan's champions take on Lahore’s
formidable Under-19 side, captained by Wasim Raja and featuring future
luminaries like Imran Khan. Lahore's batting prowess, highlighted by centuries
from Afzal Masood and Imran Khan, overwhelmed the East Pakistan team, handing
Lahore victory based on a commanding first-innings lead. While this marked a
significant moment for cricket in East Pakistan, it also underscored the stark
disparity between the two regions, both in cricket and beyond.
The BCCP Trophy and East Pakistan’s Struggles
In the
senior BCCP Trophy, East Pakistan fielded two teams: East Pakistan Whites and
Greens. The Whites, representing the more seasoned players, managed a
respectable performance against Dhaka University, with young opener Rauf Ansari
impressive with scores of 74 and an unbeaten 150. Yet, when pitted against the
powerhouse PIA team, boasting Test stalwarts like Zaheer Abbas and Mohammad
Ilyas, both East Pakistani teams crumbled under the weight of superior
opposition.
The
disparity in cricketing infrastructure and talent between East and West
Pakistan was glaring. While West Pakistan fielded teams brimming with
international experience, many players from East Pakistan found their solitary
brush with first-class cricket in these matches.
An International Match Turns into a Political
Flashpoint
February
1971 brought an international XI led by Mickey Stewart to Pakistan. The second
“Test” of the tour, staged in Dhaka, held special significance as it featured
two East Pakistan-born cricketers in the Pakistan lineup—Raqibul Hasan and
Tanvir Mazhar Tanna. For the Dhaka crowd, Raqibul, a symbol of East Pakistan’s
cricketing aspirations, was a focal point.
As Raqib
walked out to bat, he carried a subtle yet defiant message: a sticker on his
Gray-Nicolls bat declaring freedom for Bangladesh. The thunderous protest from
the Bengali crowd underscored the rising tide of Bengali nationalism. Sadly,
Raqib’s innings was short-lived, and Pakistan’s batting faltered against a
disciplined international attack.
The match,
however, was overshadowed by an announcement that sent shockwaves through the
stadium. President Yahya Khan had postponed the inaugural session of Pakistan’s
National Assembly, triggering widespread outrage in Dhaka. Protesters stormed
the stadium, setting fire to marquees and forcing the abandonment of the match.
The chaos that engulfed Dhaka marked a grim turning point for the nation and
its cricket.
The Curtain Falls on East Pakistani Cricket
The
players, trapped in the stadium amid the unrest, were eventually escorted to
safety. For the Pakistani team, the journey out of Dhaka was fraught with
danger and uncertainty, reflecting the larger collapse of order in the region.
As they departed, Raqibul Hasan’s poignant farewell to Zaheer Abbas—“The next
time I visit Karachi or Lahore, I might have to come with a new passport”—resonated
as a haunting prophecy.
Within
weeks, East Pakistan descended into violence and chaos, culminating in the
Liberation War and the eventual emergence of Bangladesh as an independent
nation. The events of the 1970/71 cricket season, while seemingly peripheral,
mirrored the fractures within the country. For East Pakistan, this was not just
the end of a cricketing chapter but the prelude to a new national
identity.
Legacy of a Divided Season
The 1970/71
cricket season serves as a poignant reminder of the intersection between sport
and society. Cricket in Pakistan, once seen as a unifying force, became a
microcosm of the divisions that tore the nation apart. The talent and potential
of East Pakistani cricketers like Raqibul Hasan and Tanvir Mazhar Tanna
highlighted what might have been, while the dominance of West Pakistan teams
underscored the structural inequalities that defined the era.
In
retrospect, the cricketing contests of that fateful season were more than
games; they were a reflection of a nation on the brink of transformation. As
the curtain fell on cricket in East Pakistan, it marked not just the end of an
era but the dawn of a new chapter in the region’s history.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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