Staff Reporter
Karachi: Former Pakistan cricket team captain Moin Khan has praised the effort of documenting cricket’s history, calling it one of the most challenging and intellectually demanding tasks. He congratulated senior journalist and researcher Shah Waliullah Junaidi on authoring a groundbreaking book that uncovers the rich yet overlooked history of Karachi’s non-Muslim cricketers and their contribution to the game.
Speaking at the book launch event at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, Moin Khan said Junaidi’s work has introduced the world to a vital but forgotten chapter of cricket’s legacy in Karachi.
Renowned first-class cricketer and international commentator Qamar Ahmed also addressed the gathering, stressing that “cricket has never been about religion.” He observed that the association between religion and cricket only began during British colonial rule, whereas the sport’s popularity in the 18th century was fueled by gambling. Calling the book a global first, he said, “This is the first and only book of its kind on this subject worldwide. It is a landmark piece of research.”
In his presidential address, scholar Khwaja Razi Haider, former Director of the Quaid-e-Azam Academy, recalled that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had a keen interest in cricket and had always emphasized minority rights. He noted that leaders of the Khilafat Movement, Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar and Shaukat Ali, were also cricket enthusiasts who played for Aligarh University’s cricket team.
Author Shah Waliullah Junaidi shared that cricket was introduced in Karachi nearly 172 years ago during the British era, first embraced by the Parsi community. Initially, Muslims were reluctant, considering it a “foreigners’ game,” but over time Karachi’s Parsis, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and other minorities excelled internationally, bringing pride to the city.
Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas raised concerns over the decline of cricket grounds in Karachi and the cricket board’s shifting focus away from the city, while praising Junaidi’s scholarship. Other speakers, including Iqbalur Rehman Mandvia, Abdul Shakoor, Farsheed Rohani, Iqbal Latif, and Shakeel Khan, applauded the book and highlighted the importance of preserving Karachi’s diverse cricketing heritage.
