Ejaz Farooqui on a mission to have lively pitches in Karachi

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Honorary Secretary of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, has listed the preparation of lively pitches for the club matches as one of his top priorities.

Speaking as the chief guest in the inauguration ceremony of the Javed Khan Cricket Tournament, being organized by Dawood Sports, Prof Ejaz Farooqui announced that the KCCA was taking measures to prepare fast pitches in the metropolis.

“It’s vitally important to expose our youngsters to lively pitches from the grassroots level so that they face no problems whatsoever in coping with such surfaces when they graduate to the next level. A cricketer having grown up on faster pitches will have a greater chance of moving up the ladder when selected in the national team,” he reckoned.

“I really feel hurt to find the Pakistan opening batsmen failing again and again. This has been happening for quite a long time now. Even the middle-order batsmen struggle to put bat to ball when playing on pitches having bounce and pace,” the KCCA Secretary regretted.

“The remedy lies by having the national tournaments played on livelier pitches. Once the domestic matches are held on faster tracks I am sure every participating team will prompted to have such surfaces for the local matches as well. In this way we will produce cricketers, particularly batsmen, of higher quality,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui believed.

“We have to set an example for the others to follow to have our club tournaments played on sporting pitches rather than flat ones. We will not only start producing outstanding batsmen but we will also have a lot of fast bowlers coming into the limelight,” he felt

“This will bring about a revolution of sorts throughout the country as the technique of the cricketers will improve considerably. They will learn a great deal themselves when they play on surfaces where their skills will be tested,” he added.

“It’s my mission to have sporting pitches prepared in Karachi. I wish to make a contribution in the real sense of the word,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui, who transformed the KCCA Zone II with his dynamic and visionary leadership in a matter of three years or so, observed.

He has a burning desire that Karachi produces the legendary batsmen like Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad, whose awesome accomplishments are still talked about in the entire cricketing world.

Prof Ejaz Farooqui was himself showered with praise by all the speakers in the inauguration ceremony of the Javed Khan Cricket Tournament. He was recognized for having rewritten the history books by having a record number tournaments organized in the KCCA Zone II during his tenure as Chairman.

Prof Ejaz Farooqui, who was elected as the Secretary of the KCCA earlier this year, has now set his vision on transforming the whole of Karachi cricket and he has displayed the eagerness already to make things happen on a fast track.

He firmly believes that the game of cricket could be taken to another level for which an integrated approach of all the stakeholders was needed.

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Prof Ejaz Farooqui desires to take Karachi cricket to next level

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The elections of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) are generally regarded as an exercise of legitimizing old wines into new bottles. But there’s a big difference this time round.

While there was not much to comment on the election of Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari as the President or the re-election of Mehdi Hasan as Treasurer but the news making the headline was the election of Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui as Secretary.

Prof Ejaz Farooqui is one man, known for bringing about a change. His presence in the central leadership could lead a turnaround in the fortunes of the KCCA. He has been blessed with so many outstanding qualities that make him counted as one of the leading personalities of the country.

He has a huge responsibility now on his shoulders and not surprisingly he is as confident as ever, displaying enormous self-belief that should serve as an inspiration to his teammates in the KCCA. He has pledged to take the Karachi cricket to another level by strategizing the goals. Not many people would disagree that he does have the capability of doing it.

Having who blanked his rival Shah Riazuddin 21-0 for the post of the Secretary in the KCCA elections held on May 22, Prof Ejaz Farooqui agreed that a lot was needed to be done to promote cricket from the grassroots level in the city.

“Yes there are lot of new challenges to be met but being a firm believer of making the most of the available resources I don’t foresee problems in accomplishing the goals and promoting cricket in every nook and corner of our metropolis,” he observed in an interview after having been elected as the KCCA Secretary.

“The Zone II experience would obviously come handy. I was elected the zonal chairman during the previous KCCA elections in 2006. With the untiring support of our team we were able to rewrite the history of the zone by organizing 25 accredited tournaments in which more than 650 matches were held. From Karimabad to Surjani Town, Khuda Ki Basti and Taisar Town we succeeded in engaging our cricketers throughout the year,” Prof Farooqui remarked.

“I have gained first-hand experience of the problems being faced at the club level by interacting with the cricketers as well as the organizers on a regularly basis and we were able to overcome many of the obstacles if not all during my three and half year tenure as the zonal chairman,” he pointed out.

He agreed that he may have not have as smooth sailing being the KCCA Secretary as he had while being the KCCA Zone II Chairman.

“Yes the challenges are going to be different but the basics remain the same. If one has the will power to take on the problems and tackle them accordingly no problem could be considered too big. I will take on board all the stake-holders to take the Karachi cricket to another level,” the KCCA Secretary concluded.

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Prof Ejaz Farooqui crowned as Super Chairman

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

In recognition of his momentous services to the game of cricket, the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) proudly declared Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, Chairman Zone II, as the Super Chairman.

Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari, Honorary Secretary, KCCA, minced no words in stating that Prof Ejaz Farooqui has turned out to be the standout chairman as far as the seven zones of the Association were concerned.

Speaking in the reception held in the honour of Prof Ejaz Farooqui on his recent election as the Vice President of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Prof Siraj Bokhari recognized the most significant contribution towards the cause of cricket at the grassroots level made by the KCCA Zone II during the past three years.

“It’s very gladdening to note that the KCCA Zone II has been the hub of cricket activities in the city eversince Prof Ejaz Farooqui was elected as their chairman. His outstanding leadership skills have brought about a distinct change and there have been more tournaments in their zone than anywhere else,” the KCCA Secretary noted.

The founder of Urdu cricket commentary and a former President of the KCCA, Munir Hussain, also paid glowing tributes to Prof Ejaz Farooqui, describing him as the man of the moment.

He acknowledged that the club cricket, having remained alive in Karachi over the years, has graduated to another level with the proactive approach of devoted personalities like Prof Ejaz Farooqui.

Munir Hussain backed Prof Ejaz Farooqui for the post of the Vice President of the KCCA urging its council to incorporate the necessary changes in their constitution to get him on board without wasting any more time.

The other speakers who showered Prof Ejaz Farooqui with praise in the reception held at the KDA Officers Club on January 12 were Mahboob Shah, a former international umpire who stood in the final of the 1987 World Cup, Senator Prof Saeed Siddiqui, Chairman, Sindh Board of Technical Education, and Mohammad Ahmed Shah, Honorary Secretary, Arts Council of Pakistan.

It was only three years ago when Prof Ejaz Farooqui had been elected as the Chairman of the Zone II of the KCCA in the elections held under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

He has been chiefly responsible for bringing the Zone II to life during the last three years.

What he has done for the zone in particular and for the cause of cricket in general is truly exemplary. He has led the zone admirably and his great personal interest in promoting the game has brought about a revolution of sorts at the club level.

He had had a vision to carry out development work in every nook and corner of the zone. He has been concentrating for creating more facilities in Surjani Town and Khuda Ki Basti.

The good work carried out by the zone during the past three years has been yielding results and they continue to be motivated by their chairman who urges the need to work with greater zeal to accomplish more success.

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Pakistan’s Twenty20 triumph to help in rapid cricket development

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, one of the most learned personalities to have taken to the field of cricket administration, firmly believes that Pakistan’s recent triumph in the ICC World Twenty20 in England will go a long way in the further development of the sport in the country.

“The nation desperately needed this kind of boost to revive our fortunes. The general feeling was that of disappointment and despair whenever breaking news appeared on the television channels. We were very reluctant to open the pages of the newspapers in the morning for the fear of coming across yet another heart-breaking headline. This has all changed in a matter of a few days and the mood of the nation looks positive now thanks to the accomplishment of our cricketers,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui, Chairman, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Zone II, remarked in an exclusive interview.

He agreed that the youth in particular would be the major beneficiary of the conquest of the national team against the heaviest of odds.

“Now the feeling among the youngsters all over the country is that they are the world champions. I think that the spirit will remain the same until the next couple of years at least when the next World Cup or the ICC Twenty20 would be staged in 2011,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui reckoned.

“Already things are getting in motion at every level with more and more cricket tournaments being planned. Another notable change is the increase in the attendance in the local events. Now the organizers appear more passionate than ever before to set the ball rolling,” he said.

“The body language of even the club cricketers has changed. They are also enjoying the moment. They are demonstrating greater self belief. That’s why I say that this World Cup win is well and truly motivational for our youngsters in particular,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui emphasized.

He complimented the various institutions to have recognized the national team warmly upon their return home.

“The heroes deserve to be acknowledged and admired. Our cricketers have made the entire nation proud with their sensational performance. We are a lively nation and we know how to treasure the moment,” he remarked.

“The mood was terrific throughout the tournament and we were confident that something extraordinary was round the corner because our team had peaked at the right time after having endured the early hassles. We anticipated the boys to come good in the final at Lord’s although Sri Lanka looked the stronger outfit and they had also beaten Pakistan in an earlier game,” he recalled.

“Like quite a few other places in the country, we had set up a giant screen at the Arts Council of Pakistan where the final was being televised live and the atmosphere was electric. We thought ourselves of being at Lord’s cheering for our national team. It was a memorable evening,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui, who is also the Honorary Treasurer of the Arts Council, added.

“We celebrated the victory rather emotionally and we carried a procession from Arts Council to Karachi Press Club where we disembarked after sharing our joys with the media professionals the very next day. These were the moments to cherish,” he concluded.

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Prof Ejaz Farooqi making immense contribution to cricket

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqi, an eminent educationalist, has also distinguished himself in the field of sports and community service. Hailing from Karachi, he is one of those very few proactive personalities, who believe in letting his work do the talking.

Having a proven track record in the field of education, Prof Ejaz Farooqui has made his presence felt on the cricket scene in a remarkably short span of time. He’s now recognized as one of the leading cricket administrators. His level of commitment for the cause of the game is commendable.

He was himself a cricketer in his younger days that seems to be the reason why he has been more towards cricket administration. He was elected as the Chairman of the Zone II of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) in 2006 and what a contribution he has made to the game since then.

He has been in the forefront in promoting and supporting the young cricketers not only of his zone but the entire city. He has been the motivating force behind the launch of so many tournaments that have taken place from time to time during the past few years.

The KCCA Zone II has been benefiting in particular under his leadership where greater number of tournaments are being held than ever before. He has himself volunteered to sponsor the majority of the tournaments to ensure that the cricketers of zone remained engaged in quality cricket throughout the year.

The results are also there to see as the KCCA Zone II has emerged victorious in the Under-19 tournaments a couple of times besides winning the Under-17 event once.
It’s very heartening to note that the KCCA as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have recognized the services of Prof Ejaz Farooqui and he has been entrusted with key assignments recently.

He was appointed the manager of the PCB XI for the four-day match against the visiting Zimbabweans while he also the manager of the Patron’s XI in their two-day match against Sri Lanka last month.

The PCB and the KCCA should avail the services of a man of his caliber who has the expertise as well as temperament to do justice to the challenging assignments. Being a highly educated man, his attitude towards other is more humane. We need humble and unassuming people like him at the top who care for others.

Prof Ejaz Farooqui should now be playing a long innings in the field of cricket administration. One hopes that he will soon be getting bigger assignments in the larger interest of the sport. The game of cricket needs capable and selfless people like him.

He is particularly keen to serve the areas that were neglected in the past for one reason or the other. It must have been very heartening for the young cricketers of Surjani Town in particular to have welcomed the respected figure of Prof Ejaz Farooqi in a tournament held there.

It’s not often to find a personality his stature pay a visit to the cricket grounds of Surjani Town and it was a nice gesture on his part to have gone there to witness a game and distribute the prizes.

The occasion was the final and presentation ceremony of the Surjani Champions Trophy Cricket Tournament. His speech must have gladdened the hearts of the area cricketers and organizers.

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