Osman SamiuddinThe Unquiet Ones: A History of Pakistan Cricket

Disclosure: I've always been fascinated by Pakistan, the cricket team and also, the country. Even though I live in a neighbouring country, quality and unbiased reporting on Pakistan has been scarce in the Indian media, print or electronic. The extreme stereotypes have always been pushed to the front, as is usual, and it needs some effort on your part to learn about the average Pakistani and the society in general.This book brings together two of my favorite book genres, Sports and History. But to call it a book on "Sports History" would be a great injustice. Through this book, Osman Samiuddin provides us a window into the various phases of Pakistani society, via the sport of Cricket. Sure, Cricket remains the central theme, but the larger, societal view remains a constant - even if peripheral - feature. And it should be no different, for Cricket in the subcontinent is a microcosm of the Country's prevailing conditions. Maybe it is even more true in Pakistan, where the cricket board has always operated under the control of the government, military or civilian. Thus, it is fair to expect Cricket and society to be inextricably tied to each other.The book is a fairly long read, but for a book that aims to chronicle close to 65 years of Pakistani Cricket, the author has done a very good job. The rigour is notable, esp coming from a young author whose lifetime perhaps only covers about 60% of the period he has written about. He has covered all major phases of Pakistan cricket and done justice to each one of them with fairly detailed accounts.The charm of the book, however, lies in the anecdotes and the relaxed writing style, with a liberal usage of quotes and phrases in contemporary urdu. Historical accounts always seem to bring with them a rather pedantic style of writing, with measured strokes of the pen/keyboard from seasoned pros. Samiuddin, while not being a beginner by any means, brings a certain desi kind of flair to his writing, much as Wasim Akram did to fast bowling. This is where the book scores, in my mind. Books have been written about the subcontinent by Western authors before, but despite their best efforts, it is hard for them to invoke a desi state of mind, to best capture the vagaries of the east. Samiuddin has performed a stellar role in this regard. Separate chapters are reserved for some of the biggest superstars, such as Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram. Intermittent commentary on the Lahore-Karachi equation is fascinating to read as well, embodied by the Imran-Javed relationship.The book takes flight, much like batsmen in the last 10 overs, in the last few sections, covering the period from the 1992 world cup to the present. Some of the passages in those sections are truly unputdownable. I went through a marathon 7-hour reading session, interrupted only by Dinner, and never once did it feel laboured. It helped that the stories being told were as captivating, if not more, as the writing style. The 1990s were a time when Pakistan team illuminated the cricket field with their performances and in equal measure were marred by corruption scandals off the field. Perhaps only Pakistan can exist in such a dichotomous universe. There's also a chapter on how/why Pakistan has become an assembly line of fast bowlers, and that most of them have been plucked out of relative obscurity and at a young age. Even if you don't read anything else in the book, the coverage of the 1990s and later is worth your time/money.In summary, a truly compelling read, possessing both a breadth and depth of coverage. For an outsider like me, it is a great account of the enigma that is Pakistan. It wouldn't be wrong to call it a labor of love, and Osman Samiuddin has provided a great insider's view of how Cricket went from being an urban, elitist pursuit to a behemoth that truly pervades Pakistani society and is one of the few unifying factors in a country with rich diversity, but also plagued by internal troubles for a large part of its existence.I wish someone would take inspiration and write something similar on Indian cricket!

Even though Osman curbs the typical flair one has come to expect from his writings, this book is nothing short of a masterpiece. Eminently readable, the insights one gains about Pakistan cricket from this book are immense. The themes are well chosen, the anecdotes well researched and the effects of the country's politics on the game well documented. The book avoids becoming a Pakistani Wisden, and instead focuses equally on the off field sagas and antics of the characters.

Have loved reading and savoring this book. I have always been intrigued by how Pakistan cricket finds so many fast bowlers, on what appears to be almost a whim, this book has some excellent info on what makes that happen. Osman Samiuddin's painstaking efforts to glean inputs from yesteryears to provide an intimate view of how Pakistan cricket evolved to what it is today clearly shows in this book. A recommended read for any cricket lover.

Osman Samiuddin is the guru of Pakistan cricket writing. And this book does not disappoint. Even for an ardent cricket fan such as myself, there are stories and surprises that leave me astonished at the depth and intrigue of Pakistani cricket. Furthermore, the parallels drawn with Pakistan's immediate history post independence are fascinating and educational. Sit back and let Osman's words wash over you, this is a must-read for any Pakistani cricket fan.

One of the best cricket books you could ever read particularly if you're a Pakistan cricket fan! Osman Samiuddin writes with great passion, intelligence and wit.

A very comprehensive book on Pakistan cricket. Enjoyed reading it. Osman has done a great job and service to Pakistan cricket.

This is one of the best book on Pakistan cricket. Very well written and informative. I am surprised he has no other books available on amazon.

Fascinating look at a "new" test nation.

While there's quite a bit out there which covers modern Pakistan cricket, there's less available for the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. This book captures the breadth of Pakistani cricket, its many larger than life personalities, the subtle tensions and friendships, the highs and lows. Written without any obvious agenda, this is a good, solid, entertaining book on Pakistan cricket

A great supplement to recent works on Pakistan cricket by Peter Oborne. Pakistan has long been a much misrepresented team in world cricket (some of the comment downright racist) and it's good to get another perspective and point of view on the subject.

great book

The book beautifully captures the essence and nitty-gritty of Pakistan Cricket. So you have a detail on how the game existed before partition and how it evolved after partition. How intense college rivalries in Lahore kept delivering players even though there was no domestic structure in place? What is Karachi-Lahore rivalry all about? What hurdles administrators faced and how they overcome it? What role corporate played? How the matting wickets contributed to the initial success? Who were the players who had an English county experience and how they combined in early 80's to make it a formidable unit and a team to reckon with? How victories against formidable opponents were achieved at their own backyard? How players took on Board regarding match fee? How Kerry Packer threatened World Cricket? What is Tennis ball cricket all about? How controversial reverse swing bowling became a potent weapon? How Sharjah became an important venue? Why players rebelled against their captain? How match-fixing episodes almost ruined Pakistan cricket? Why terrorist attack on a convoy, carrying Sri Lankan cricketers detest future teams from visiting Pakistan? You recall a subject and the book has a mention of it.Some interesting trivia from the book:1. When Pakistan played its first Test, there was no first class structure in place.2. There were intense rivalries in colleges, especially in Lahore between Government College and Islamia College. First time when Pakistan toured India, 11 of the 18 members had studied or were studying in either of these 2 colleges3. Pakistan Cricket made a dashing and vibrant entry in the international scene where in the first 8 years; they won a test in India, West Indies and England, a no mean feat by any standard. They also won against Pakistan and New Zealand at home4. One person, whose vision changed the way game was played, was cricket turned administrator- Abdul Hafeez Kardar. He was the first Pakistani to have played in English County Cricket. He heralded Pakistan Cricket by giving it a professional framework.5. Corporate, Well-wishers and even common citizen combined to syndicate Cricket to a cult status. Intension of promoting the game was serious and administrator never permitted frivolity.6. Such was love and passion for the game, people made radio commentators - Omar Kureishi and Jamsheed Marker celebrities. The amusing part is that commentary was in English which majority of the listener did not understand.7. Nine players- Mushaq Mohammad, Majid Khan, Asif Iqbal, Intikhab Alam, Sarfraz Nawaz, Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Sadiq Mohammed and Javed Miandad were regular fixtures in English county and they changed the perception of the Board. Cricket was no longer an amateur pursuit but a business.8. Pakistan team in 80's achieved outstanding Test victories against strong Australia and English team at Melbourne and Lords respectively. Both were inning defeat.9. They were the first team in over 14 years to have achieved a Test victory on West Indies soil against a mighty, dreaded and invincible team.10. Pakistan was the first country to introduce neutral umpires and then ICC decided that it's the way forward11. Though reverse swing was invented by Sarfaz Nawaz but it was Imran Khan who was better equipped to push it further. Imran at those times was developing into one of the best and quickest.12. By Imran Khan own admission , Karry Packer was his finishing school as a bowler13. Sarfaz Nawaz triggered the most unbelievable collapse in Melboune, when Australia was bowled out for 310 after being 305/1 at one stage. With the relaxation of rules, Cricket has become a batsmen game. Shortage of tear away bowlers like in 80's is not helping matter either. In Pakistan too, the class of 80's is missing. Qualitatively, if Cricket especially Test Cricket has to grow then there has to be competition among top nations. World Cricket desperately needs a resurgent West Indies team along with Pakistan team of yore. The rise and rise of T20 Cricket too have taken the sheen away from Test Cricket. The author had done his homework before penning this book. The research is extensive. Though the subject is Cricket, the book does not restrict itself to tables and statistics. On the contrary, it manages to combine historical facts and story-telling with finesse and aplomb. There are achievements galore in 7 decades of Pakistan Cricket but only those matches and tournament found a mention, where matches have been won against formidable opponents, out of their comfort zone; where matches have been won against the odds. Still the book is lengthy. The most difficult part must have been editing. There are so many substances available that the moot question is what to omit and what to retain? As a reader I feel each matter discussed is significant w.r.t the subject. The history of Cricket is so eventful that it cannot get shorter than this. The author has done commendable job. This definitely should figure in your reading wish-list.

Great book on Pakistan cricket