Ijaz Ahmed Pakistan Cricket Player
Ijaz Ahmed was born on 20th September 1968 in Sialkot. He was a Pakistani criketer who played 60 Tests and 250 One Day Internationals for Pakistan over a period from 1986 to 2001. He is married to the sister of his former team mate Saleem Malik.
International career
Ijaz had the lowest batting average of the team, with a Test average of 38 and an ODI average of 32, but he did hit six Test centuries against the world’s top-ranked side for much of his career, Australia – which is a record number of centuries by a Pakistani against Australia, shared with Javed Miandad.
However, in Test cricket he had a habit of being dismissed for low scores, as 33 of his 92 innings yielded single-figure scores and 54 of them yielded scores below 20.
Came Ijaz Ahmed to the national team at the height of the era of Imran Khan, and remained on the sidelines of the proximity of a decade, in spite of good grades several, and he struggled to find consistency, a feature which captain legendary and was a little patience, though Imran estimate his hard work and design each Akram and handsome. Was working and dropped after the World Cup 1992 (true to nature dominated play in most of the matches including the final game, with highlights of some, many people are not aware of his presence on the team), in his game and came back strongly the following season, and established himself in the pivotal ” one down “position. The relevant if were not great in this role for many years, though he did not play a few very memorable, especially in Addis knocks. After the Cup, the World 1999 returned (where he was weak and was blamed for the collapse of the beating in the final) was dropped because, after a few months, but by that time the arrival of Khan Younis, a player who matched the report of miracles, but exceeded his talent and technique (although he is also in the form of a non-traditional) made the place of miracles in the side of the doubtful one down, but after a few games against England and then New Zealand in 2001/2000, which was a modest unique, and he dropped never to return.
He was a fixture in the ODI team in particular, as his 250 games is the fifth highest of all time in Pakistan, behind the handsome Akram, Inzamam ul-Haq, Salim Malik and Younis, Waqar. He appeared in the World Cup (4) The winner of the World Cup in 1992. The batsman Ijaz strong, especially in the leg side of the pitch.
Career highlights
A powerful hitter of the ball with his bat, Ijaz got popularity, after becoming the 2nd Pakistani Batsman who scored 10 ODI centuries after Saeed Anwar. He played some memorable innings against countries like, India, England, Australia, West Indies, Srilanka and South Africa. At Lahore, in 1997, Ijaz collapsed the Indian bowling attack by making a quick century of just 68 balls including 9 sixes, remaining not out for 139*, and this is his highest score in the ODI. In the following year, He again returned with his 132 against Zimababwe in the 3rd and decesive ODI of home series. In Pepsi cup 1999, played in India, Ijaz helped his team to victory in the second round match against India by scoring 90 not out. Pakistan was given an easy target of 197, but the number of overs were reduced from 50 to 47, due to slow over rate by Pakistan. Initially Pakistan lost its first 3 wickets for just 21 runs, when Ijaz Ahamd joined his traditional partner Inzamam ul Haq and attained victory for their side, both remaining not out on 90 and 78 respectively. In the same year after Pepsi cup, Pakistan cricket team visited Sharjah to participate in the tri-nation cricket tournament with England and India. In the opening match against England, Ijaz scored a memorable innings of 137 and was out just two runs short of his highest score which he has scored against India in 1997.
ODI centuries by Ijaz Ahmad
Ijaz Ahamd has scored ten centuries in one day international against all the cricket playing countries having test status except West Indies, against which he has never scored a century through out his career. The list of his ODI centuries is as follows.
* 124* vs Bangladesh at Chittagong, 29 Oct 1988.
* 102* vs Sri Lanka Brisbane, 10 Feb 1990.
* 110 vs South Africa Rawalpindi, 20 Oct 1994.
* 114* vs South Africa Durban, 17 Dec 1994.
* 117 vs Zimbabwe Peshawar, 3 Nov 1996.
* 139* vs India Lahore, 2 Oct 1997.
* 117 vs India Dhaka, 18 Jan 1998.
* 111 vs Australia Lahore, 10 Nov 1998.
* 132 vs Zimbabwe Rawalpindi, 24 Nov 1998.
* 137 vs England Sharjah, 7 Apr 1999.
Test Batting
Circket in the test, Ijaz Ahmed was very important to him with a bat. Even if it seems in many cases can not be relied upon, and scored 12 and Ijaz centuries test is the only batsmen in the world who has scored six centures against Australia, and the maximum number of centuries by the batsman against them. And Ijaz Ahmed scored his first century and the only double of criket test against Sri Lanka, when he scored 211. This was the same game, which got a handsome Aktam wickets his second hat trik, a match that was eventually won by Pakistan, the roles and runs 170. Ijaz was also the highest run maker of the Pakistani side against South Africa.
The event of 21st April, 1997
On 21 April 1997, in a test match against Srilanka, Ijaz Ahmad was at the creez on 97, when the famous run out attempt by Srilankan fielder, Romessh Kaluwitharana, brought ambigouty in the decision. It was now difficult for the umpires that wether Ijaz should be given run out or it should be his partner Salim Malik? The TV replays were against Salim Malik, that he has been run out but eventually the third umpire, K. T. Francis gave his decision against Ijaz Ahmad and so he remained short of his century. However, after repeated replays of the event, Ijaz Ahmad was called back to the creez and Salim Malik was declared as run out. After his return to creez, Ijaz successfully completed his century. This was the first time for a batsman to return from the pavilion to the creez, after being declared out since 1987.
Ijaz as a good fielder of cricket
Despite his good batting and playing as a boweler on casual basis, Ijaz Ahamd can be regarded as one of the best fielders, the Pakistani cricket has ever produced. He was an excellent fielder, often inside the circle at square position and mid on. His best fielding in match against Australia in 1999 world cup, initial stage greatly restricted the overflow of runs by Australian batsmen in the final moments of the match. It was due to his best fielding that Pakistan won that match by 10 runs after a thrilling battle.
Isolation from the team and Come back
Ijaz Ahmed was a member of the regular team down one position, of the 1999 cricket World Cup played in England from 14 May to June 20, 1999. It seemed his performance was not very good. As he was hit in the first game of the World Cup in 1999, when he was hitten in the first leg of the West Indies PACER, Dillon through a successful appeal to the lack of weight at birth in Bristol. This injury has affected his performance in the rest of the matches and dropped from the next match against Scotland. Dramatically after the collapse of the line of beating Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup final against Australia, and remained for the roles of miracles scorer with 22 runs. He was also the batsman, who was held responsible for the surprising collapse of the beating in the final. This regular succession of poor performances, led to the isolation of the miracles of the national team and so he was not part of the national team at the Festival of Cricket Toranto for the year 1999 against the West Indies, Sharjah Cup in late 1999. Although he was given the opportunity in the test series against Australia and the Serie A and Cartlon against India and Australia, which performed well in both test and a series of one day. In the third test, Ijaz Ahmed scored a century his 12th test and 6 against Australia in Perth, a match which Pakistan lost in the end by some of the roles and runs. In a series of three follows, Ijaz Ahmed scored centuries 1/23, but was still unable to take confidence selctors and dropped again from the team for one year from
Surprising Come Back
Following the captaincy crisis of the national team, in the absence of the injued captain, Moin Khan, The Pakistan Cricket Board surprisingly started giving indications of making Ijaz as the interim captain of the team for then the incoming Singapore Challenge series against New Zealand and South Africa. Nevertheless, he was not selected as captain but his come back in the team was confirmed after 14 months. So Ijaz Ahmad joined the team in Singapore in the absence of injured regular skipper, Moin Khan. Waqar Younis was leading the team on emergeny basis. Ijaz Ahmad made a brilliant batting come back in the Singapore Challenge Series against Newzealand and South Africa. He scored a quick innings of 49 not out of just 21 balls in a rain affected match, which was reduced to 25 overs per side before toss. Ijaz’s Innings helped Pakistan giving a tough target of 192 runs to Newzealand in 25 overs, a match which Paksitan eventually won by 29 runs. In the second match against the South Africans, he scored 67, a match which was won by Pakistan later on. Ijaz Ahamd remained Man of the Match in both matches and also remained the top scorer in every match of this tournament. But again it was his misfortune that beyond all this good performance, he was again dropped from then the incoming ICC Champions Trophy, 2002 and was unseen on the national side, for more than 7 months. He was again given a chance during Pakistan’s cricket team tour to Newzealand in 2003, where he was selected for the test squard, but this time he didn’t perform well and was dropped from then the incoming ODI series. He has never been a part of National Cricket team since then and eventually announced his formal retirement from both formats of cricket in late 2003.
Fake Cheque Scandle
Ijaz Ahmad was arrested on 25th march 2009, on the grounds that he has submitted a bogus bank cheque of 10 million ruppees. It occurred when Police acted against him following a complaint filed against Ijaz Ahmad by two property dealers, for issuing them cheques that had bounced. Fingers and criticism were pointed on Government as soon as the Pakistan’s largest daily, The Jang, published the news of his arresting by police. He was taken to cell but later on shifted to room, due to his bad health. However, former Pakistan captain Saleem Malik, who is also Ijaz’s brother-in-law, denied that his former team-mate had committed any wrongdoing. “The truth is that these property dealers owe money to Ijaz and they have registered a false case against him,” Malik said. Later on the lawyer of Ijaz Ahamd stated to media men that Ijaz has been tortured mentally by the police and asked for justice, saying that its not the way to treat a national hero. On May 16, 2009, he was freed on bail from imprisonment. In June 2009, the court officially declared the complaint against Ijaz Ahmad as a false attempt to spoil his fame and confirmed his innocence. The court’s decision found favour with cricket fans of Ijaz Ahmad and othe sports constituencies.
Ijaz Ahmad as a coach of Pakistan’s Under 19 team
Ijaz Ahamd was appointed as the coach of Pakistan’s under 19 cricket team on October 20, 2009 by the Pakistan Cricket Board. It was under his coaching that the Pakistan’s cricket team played brilliantly in the under 19 world cup. Pakistan’s team reached final where they lost to Australia in Newzealand. However the overall performance of the team was quite good.
Coach of the National Team
After Pakistan’s humiliating defeat against Newzealnd at UAE in 2009’s ODI series and resignation of Younis khan from the captaincy, changes were made in the team, with waqar younis being installed as the coach of Pakistan’s cricket team. After Pakistan was black washed by Australia in test, ODI and T20 matches in 2010, Ijaz Ahmad was selected as combined coach with Waqar Younis, a post which Ijaz Ahmad is currently enjoying.
Ijaz Ahmed Pictures
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