Familiar figure top scores on Pakistan debut
THE name of Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider meant very little to most English cricket followers during the second Test at Edgbaston but it would ring a few bells around the Central Yorkshire League.
Haider, who made his Test debut against England last weekend, played for Liversedge two years ago and proved a lively character to say the least.
It was a memorable debut. He was out first ball in the first innings and then dropped Kevin Pietersen twice.
He was then given out lbw first ball in the second innings to be on a 'king pair' only to be reprieved on appeal by the TV umpire and went on to make 88, the highest score in the match.
During his innings England paceman Stuart Broad hurled the ball in irritation after fielding off his own bowling and struck Haider on the shoulder. Broad was subsequently reported for misconduct and fined.
When he joined Liversedge, Haider was a late acquisition for the club after their original overseas signing withdrew and the Roberttown Lane team already had a capable wicketkeeper in Richard Soulsby.
Haider was signed as a batsman but also proved a brilliant fielder, mainly close in, and was joint top of the League's catching list with 14 during the season.
Liversedge secretary David Myers said: "He would field somewhere like silly mid-off and was outstanding.
"He stood very close and at times would walk up to the batsman between deliveries and put his face very close to theirs. It was gamesmanship really but on one occasion he had to be restrained by the umpire.
"I don't think Stuart Broad will have been the first person whose skin he's got under. He (Haider) had a habit of walking down the pitch as a fast bowler was running in and they don't like that."
"He kept wicket for us on a couple of occasions and I recall him dropping a catch at an important stage of a game.
"But he was a good club member, he practiced regularly, played in our Twenty/20 team and in midweek matches. He spoke good English and was very likeable off the field.
"When he came with the Pakistan squad this time, he sent a message asking to be remembered to the people at our club, which was thoughtful of him."
Haider played in 21 games for Liversedge, batted 17 times, scoring 542 runs with a highest of 102 not out to have an average of 33.88.
Liversedge members had a lengthy discussion regarding the number of Test players to have played at the club. They came up with seven but there could well be more.
The other six apart from Haider are West Indies star Sonny Ramadhin, Eddie Leadbeater, New Zealanders Ronnie Hart and Tony Blain, Ijaz Hamed jun and Sri Lankan Ishara Amerasinghe.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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