Ijaz Faqih Batting vs Australia 2nd Test at Brisbane in 1981

Mr. Devotor

In this video, we dive into the cricketing journey of Ijaz Faqih, one of Pakistan’s most underrated all-rounders. Known for his resilience with the bat and crafty off-spin bowling, Faqih’s international career may have been brief, but his impact—especially in tough situations—was noteworthy.  He played 5 Test matches, scoring 183 runs at an average of 26.14, including a fine century against India. With the ball, he claimed 4 Test wickets. In 27 ODIs, Faqih scored 197 runs and took 13 wickets, including a best of 4/43.  His real legacy, however, shines in first-class cricket, where he played 142 matches, scored 6,058 runs with 13 centuries, and bagged 563 wickets with a staggering 41 five-wicket hauls.  📌 One of his most memorable performances came in 1987, scoring 105 and sharing a 154-run stand with Imran Khan against India.  🕰️ Let’s rewind the clock and celebrate a forgotten warrior of Pakistan cricket – Ijaz Faqih.  👉 Don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE for more rare cricket stories and player profiles!  #IjazFaqih #PakistanCricket #CricketLegends #UnsungHeroes #CricketHistory #CricketStats #ImranKhanEra #TestCricket #PakCricketThrowback #CricketAllrounders

Transcript

00:00Let's rewind to the Brisbane Test match between Pakistan and Australia, played from November

00:0527 to December 1, 1981.

00:08On a pitch that offered pace, bounce and serious challenge, one man stood tall when others

00:13fell.

00:14Ejaz Faki

00:15In the first inning, Ejaz Faki showed true grit and determination.

00:18He scored a fighting 34 runs of 53 balls, spanning 66 minutes at the crease and hitting

00:24four crisp boundaries.

00:25It was not a big score, but in those testing conditions, it was worth its weight in gold.

00:31In the second innings, with Pakistan under pressure once again and the Aussies quakes breathing

00:36fire, Ejaz Faki held his ground.

00:38He added another 21 runs of 42 balls, lasting 61 minutes, once again cracking four boundaries.

00:45While the rest of the batting lineup struggled to survive, Ejaz Faki played with calm and

00:49courage.

00:50Though Pakistan went down by 10 wickets, Ejaz Faki twin efforts with the bat stood out as

00:55a brave and valuable contribution in tough times.

00:58His innings were a quiet reminder of how fight and heart matter just as much as big scores.

01:04Let's refresh those vintage memories and real life both of Ejaz Faki's resilient snogs.

01:09True examples of patting it out when the going gets tough.

01:12Alderman now to Ejaz.

01:15That'll be four runs, no man down there at third man.

01:24Just needed a quick look out to the Datsun sign but there's no one lurking away down there.

01:32And Ejaz picks up four runs.

01:35And that was a rather miscued hook shot.

01:44Brings up the 250 for Pakistan, seven for 251.

01:49And that's the end of Alderman's over.

01:57Lily now to Ejaz.

02:03Oh, and fumble time.

02:07Jeff Thompson, the culprit there.

02:13Mustn't a question of not trying.

02:18He's got hands and body and everything behind it.

02:21That might just have got an awkward bounce.

02:26Yes, that went straight between his legs as you could see.

02:30And there's just that gap there, perhaps have kept his legs close together.

02:42Ejaz might have been out hooking in his first test match but he's showing some profit here

02:51against Dennis Lilley at two and three.

02:58End of Lilley's over, seven for two, five, seven.

03:03Ejaz faces Yardley.

03:10It's neatly cut away, nice Thompson.

03:17Well, Jeff Thompson's had a fair amount of chasing to do down there.

03:24Opportunity here to perhaps wrap up this Pakistan tale.

03:30That one hit high and wide of Lilley who comes around from backward square leg to chase it.

03:35But it'll be four, so that's a four and a useful four-two to Ejaz.

03:38A bit of frustration there on the face of Yardley.

03:42Ejaz, realising he's running out of partners, has to throw a bit of caution to the wind.

03:47And perfectly safe shot, just going with that spin, clipping it away behind square.

03:52Gave Dennis Lilley no chance.

04:00Well, it's the spinner.

04:02Yardley.

04:03That's hit in the air and this could be out, no, just over the top of Borderman.

04:07Over the top of his head, that is a big cross-battered shot there, smashed down the ground.

04:11A couple of bounces into the fence.

04:14Put the sweater on and certainly no sign of him tightening up.

04:18Gave Bruce Yardley the old heave-ho treatment and just clearing the head of Jerry Alderman out there.

04:26Several times today, shots like this just clearing the Australians.

04:30But he might well try and lob one over the top of the outfield.

04:34On the other hand, he's only got five minutes to close.

04:38He's gone for it and he's hit it and it's gone high and wide down towards square leg.

04:42One bounce into the fence.

04:44And so four, a good shot there from Ejaz.

04:46And I suspect Rick Chappell might get that area covered.

04:49Ejaz looks as if he's going to lob the ball into that square leg area.

04:54And very intelligent cricket for me, Ejaz.

04:56Revolving the last man in.

04:58And perfectly safe outfield hit.

05:00Picking it up on the half volley and there was no one out there.

05:05Dennis Lee has since been moved out into that position, perfectly safe producing four runs.

05:13So Lily now down on that square leg boundary, waiting for a catch.

05:17Let's have a deep bit on.

05:19Ejaz cutting this time.

05:20Thompson the fieldsman.

05:21Sikander comes down and gets sent back.

05:25And sent back in time.

05:29Sikander was looking to take over the strike.

05:31And so was Ejaz.

05:32But well fielded by Jeff Thompson and got rid of it very quickly.

05:36And Sikander scurrying back down there.

05:38So one ball remaining on the side.

05:43He's bowled in.

05:44That is a good bit of bowling that by Yardley.

05:46Loving that ball up a little higher.

05:48Ejaz in trying to get down the other end missed it.

05:51And ended up by being bowled by Yardley.

05:54So Yardley too.

05:55Nipping in for a wicket.

05:58All the Australian bowlers taking wickets today.

06:00And Bruce Yardley wrapping up Ejaz.

06:02Ejaz playing right over the top of it.

06:04Looking to get the strike.

06:06And being bowled.

06:07All ends up.

06:07A good delivery from Bruce Yardley as he wraps up Ejaz.

06:10Ejaz just coming down.

06:13Dancing down the wickets.

06:14Looking to get it away straight.

06:15And playing over it.

06:17And being bowled.

06:18All ends up.

06:18And possibly may have been stumped by Rodney Marsh.

06:20If it hadn't hit that stump.

06:21So first wicket today for Bruce Yardley.

06:26Wrapping up Ejaz.

06:30Well that certainly was a great effort from Greg Chappell's team.

06:33Fred said about anyone who passes his record of 307.

06:37He said well they'll be pretty tired if they do.

06:40Ejaz now facing Dennis Lilley.

06:50And that's four runs.

06:54So Ejaz gets off the mark with that deflection down to fine leg.

06:58Pulled away.

07:00Not off the middle of the bat.

07:01Off the underneath edge.

07:03Nonetheless it's pretty effective.

07:04It'll be four.

07:09Beating the slip cordon.

07:11It's all along the ground.

07:12It wasn't a chance in any way.

07:15Four more to Ejaz.

07:16All these runs are very valuable.

07:18Because once Heikistan got up to that cutoff point.

07:24Then every run is worth two.

07:25Because the Australians have to go in.

07:27And they have to take minutes in which to score the required runs in there.

07:32And second anyways.

07:35Six for 189.

07:37Yardley to Ejaz.

07:41Dennis Lilley is the man behind square.

07:43And he's quite happy to let them take two so Ejaz can keep the strike.

07:47And that's hit away.

07:53Right down towards mid-wicket.

07:54And that'll be four.

07:57He's certainly got a little bit of guts this Ejaz.

07:59Prepared to chance his arm now and again.

08:03And that brings up the 200.

08:06Lusty hitting from Ejaz.

08:08No one out there.

08:10Plenty of many in close catching positions for Ejaz.

08:13A perfectly safe shot.

08:14And picking the right ball to hit.

08:19Ejaz and Safrez.

08:20Showing perhaps some of the other team members in the Pakistan camp.

08:24Just the way to try and apply themselves.

08:35And so Yardley again.

08:37Over the wicket.

08:39Once again Ejaz going for the lap shot this time.

08:42And that'll go close to being 4-2.

08:43Thompson coming around very quickly down there.

08:45But he won't cut it off.

08:46So four more to Ejaz.

08:48Down to fine leg this time.

08:50Just a little bit of frustration there on the face of Bruce Yardley.

08:56One played.

08:58Although I think one of the things that he has lost is

09:01or one of the things he's gained is now that he's so predictable.

09:03Back in that 74-75 season when he was bowling against you fellas.

09:09He was spraying them everywhere.

09:10And then suddenly there'd be the one on the wicket.

09:12And that'd be the one that he perhaps get the breakthrough through.

09:15But now I just think that he is so predictable.

09:17And he's just plugging away outside off stump.

09:19It's a nick and Greg Chappell's got him.

09:25He's gone.

09:28One hundredth test catch by Greg Chappell.

09:30And nonchalantly taken it was too.

09:33And that would be a great relief for Jeff Thompson.

09:35And he's been striving for that wicket.

09:37An outside edge to the batter of Ejaz.

09:39Straight to that marvellous catcher, Greg Chappell.

09:43A breakthrough at last for Jeff Thompson.

09:45And certainly one that Greg Chappell will remember.

09:47His hundredth catch and test matches.

09:50Very nonchalant once again, Greg Chappell.

09:52Just taking it just knee high.

09:55The end of Ejaz.

09:56And Pakistan now eight for 216.

09:58Ejaz Fakki born on March 24, 1956 in Karachi.

10:17He was right-handed best man and right arm off-spin baller.

10:21Who played as an out-rounder for the Pakistan national cricket team between 1980 and 1988.

10:27Despite a relatively brief international career,

10:30Ejaz Fakki made significant contribution in both test and one-day international formers.

10:35In test cricket, Ejaz Fakki appeared in five matches scoring 183 runs at an average of 26.14,

10:42including a century with a top score of 105.

10:45With the ball, he delivered 534 balls, taking four wickets at an average of 74.75,

10:52with the best bowling figure of 1 for 38.

10:54In ODIs, he played 27 matches.

10:56Amassing 197 runs at an average of 12.31, with a high score of 42 not out.

11:03As a baller in the limited-over format, he took 13 wickets from 1,116 deliveries,

11:09averaging 63 with the best figure of 4 for 43.

11:13Ejaz Fakki domestic career was more extensive and impressive.

11:16In 142 first-class matches, he scored 6,058 runs at an average of 32.74,

11:23including 13 centuries and 32.50, with a high score of 183.

11:28His bowling was particularly noteworthy in domestic arena, where he took 563 wickets at an average of 23.54,

11:37including 41 five-wicket hauls and 9 ten-wicket match hauls, with the best bowling figure of 8 for 51.

11:43One of the highlights of his international career was during the 1986-87 series in India,

11:49where he scored a resilient 105 runs, forming 154 in partnership for the 7th wicket with Imran Khan.

11:56This performance earned him the Player of the Match award in the Drone Test match.

12:00Ejaz Fakki's contribution to Pakistan cricket, especially in the domestic circuit, underscored

12:06his capabilities are reliable all-rounder during his playing years.

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