Pervez Sajjad

Pervez Sajjad Hasan is a former Pakistani cricketer who represented his country in 19 Test matches between 1964 and 1973. He gained recognition as a cunning left-arm legspinner who remained effective even when playing on unhelpful tracks.

Early life and education

Pervez Sajjad Hasan was born on 30 August 1942 in Lahore, Punjab. He grew up as one of seven brothers within his family. His siblings included the Test cricketer Waqar Hasan and the film director Iqbal Shehzad.

Career

Sajjad began his first-class cricket career during the 1961–62 season. He demonstrated immediate impact by taking 22 wickets for 148 runs across his first 2 matches. During a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match, he recorded figures of 5 for 15 and 4 for 35 while Lahore A defeated Railways. He later achieved 7 for 33 and 6 for 65 against Combined Services, even though that team won the match.

His most notable first-class performance occurred in the 1968–69 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy quarter-final. Playing for Karachi against Khairpur, he secured match figures of 15 for 112. This included innings figures of 7 for 23 and 8 for 89. He continued to play first-class cricket until the 1973–74 season concluded.

The cricketer's Test career spanned nearly a decade. He claimed 59 economical wickets in total, and he achieved the feat of taking five wickets in an innings 3 times. All of these specific instances occurred against New Zealand. In Auckland during the 1964–65 period, he finished with 5 for 42. During the 1969–70 series, he took 22 wickets at an average of 15.63. This series included a 5 for 33 performance in Karachi and his career-best 7 for 74 in Lahore.

Following his sporting career, Sajjad transitioned into the corporate world. He worked for Pakistan International Airlines for many years. Upon his retirement from the airline, he held the position of General Manager in Paris.

Personal life

Sajjad maintained close ties to the Pakistani film industry through his brother, Iqbal Shehzad. He served as an assistant to Iqbal Shehzad on several different films. His family connections to cinema were extensive and deep.

His brother Waqar Hasan married Jamila Razzaq, who is the daughter of actress Sultana Razzaq. This marriage linked the family to several prominent figures in Indian and Pakistani film history. Jamila is the granddaughter of Fatma Begum, who was India's first female film director. She is also the great niece of Zubeida, the leading actress in the 1931 film Alam Ara.