Centennial of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Nissar-c77169: The Fastest Pre-Partition Bowler of India – and the World
Born in Hoshiarpur, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Punjab-c833, India on 1st August, 1910, Mohammad Nissar played his early cricket in Prince of Wales College (Jammu) and Lahore’s Islamia and Government Colleges. But essentially, he was a product of Lahore’s famous nursery of cricketers, Minto Park. It was at Minto Park nets, in the scorching May-June sun, where Nissar practiced to build up his legendary stamina and speed.
Curiously, Mohammad Nissar began his cricket career as a batsman – an opening batsman at that. However, later, as his bowling proved more effective, he travelled down the list to be invariably, if not always, the number eleven batsman in class cricket.
An example of his prowess as a batsman was shown during his tour of England in 1932 with the Indian team.
It was in the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lancashire-c806 match at Liverpool in which 756 runs were scored during the first two days. Nissar was one of the batsmen who came to rescue the team when it has collapsed for 274 for eight. Jahangir Khan and Amar Singh together retrieved the position by putting on an amazing stand of 125 runs in 80 minutes. Then came the most unexpected stand between Nissar and Amar Singh, which carried the score to 493.
Groomed and developed in Lahore during the fierce rivalry of Government College and Islamia College, he took six wickets for 68 runs in the trial held to select the Indian team for touring England in 1932 under Maharaja of Porbandar. Later, in England, C.K. Naidu led the side in the Test.
At the inaugural Test at Lord’s in 1932, Nissar, through his terrifying pace, sent back http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750.
In all his six Test appearances, he captured 25 wickets at 28.28 runs apiece. On his two English tours, the second in 1936, he took 137 wickets in all first-class matches at 21.4 apiece.
Against the Australian team led by Jack Ryder, in India, in 1935-36, he touched top form, taking 32 wickets in four un-official Tests at an enviable average of 12.9 runs. The Australian Captain later described him as the one of finest fast bowlers in the world.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Neville-Cardus-c79243, a great cricket writer, in his inimitable style said: “Nissar’s speed during half a dozen overs was really capital; in every over we saw half-hit defensive strokes, untidy, uncertain”.
Even at the peak of his career, Nissar never sought to be pampered. The following anecdote illustrates this trait of his character:
The Dussehra vacations were on in Lahore and the Government College team was about to leave for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Delhi-c780 for a few friendly fixtures. Fresh from his return from England, Nissar learnt of the trip and wanted to know if he could be accommodated in the side as an old boy. Said the team members: “Sheikh Sahib, there is not the type of tour for a cricketer of your stature to undertake. We’ll be travelling in third class and may not be able to billet you decently in Delhi”. Nissar would hear nothing of it, and took the train with the team. Those were the days when Feroz Shah Kotla was without the Willingdon Pavilion. The hosts could offer no more than ordinary “durries” to the visitors, which served as ground sheets in the day and as beds at night. But Nissar paid no thought to it: “I have come to play cricket and not enjoy luxuries,” Nissar had said then.
The following are statements made by some of his contemporaries:-
Lala Amarnath
Lala Amarnath stated that he could never forget that great cricketer who had done him a good turn in 1933-34. Young Amarnath had come to Bombay for the all-India trials and had miserably failed in the first trial when he was sent to open the innings. Nissar, who had realized that Amarnath had not been given a fair trial because his usual position was number three, took it on himself to approach the selectors on his behalf. On Nissar’s recommendations, Amarnath was given another chance, and he scored 49 and 79 not out to be eventually selected. “Had he not helped me that day, perhaps I would not have played for India at all”.
Maharajkumar of Vizianagram
Vizzy said: “Lindwall of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 was always looked upon as the gentleman fast bowler and so was Mohammad Nissar, who never believed in intimidating a batsman by sending down bumpers or the present day beamers. He got the batsman out fair and square. That was the charm of his greatness”.
Dr http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dilawar-Hussain-c54080
Dr Dilawar stated: “He was the greatest bowler of his times. In fact he was on top of the world for 10 years. He was a lion-hearted bowler and no day was too long for him. As a sportsman, he had no equal. He was a great sportsman and a great gentleman on and off the field. A clean cricketer, he always believed in hitting the stumps and never bowled at the batsman to whom he could be of real danger with his terrific speed. He was man of great charm and humour”.
Dr. Jahangir Khan
Dr. Jahangir stated: “Nissar was a magnificent bowler and a great sportsman, who was an asset to any team of his time. A great slip fielder who could bring off surprising catches in spite of his weight. I have not seen a faster bowler than him in this sub-continent”.
Mian Mohammed Saeed
Mian Mohammad Saeed stated: “I have had the privilege of playing a lot of cricket with him and he was a childhood friend. Not only have I seen and played with him at his best when he was in a class by himself, but the late Maharaja of Patiala told me once that in spite of what people say about Minnon and Ramjee, Nissar was the only and the greatest fast bowler ever produced by the subcontinent. I have also heard Plunwarmer say that in 1932 Nissar was quicker in the air than Harold Larwood”.
Vijay Merchant
Vijay Merchant stated: “What a great fast bowler he was! He was the best and the fastest I have ever played against. In my time I played against Larwood, Voce, Bowes, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Allen-c43742 and Gover. The first two were past their best when I played them and the other three did not come up to the standard of Nissar. I have not seen a more accurate fast bowler than Nissar and he could bowl on the proverbial six-penny piece. He moved the ball just enough to beat the centre of the bat and he did not have to resort to bumpers to get his wickets. On the contrary, he would refuse to intimidate the batsman because he maintained that his target was the stump and not the man. In 1939, when the late Wazir Ali asked him to bowl bumpers against the Hindu batsman in the Pentangular final, he refused to do so although that probably went against the interests of his side."
Jaoomal Naoomal
J. Naoomal stated: “He always believed in hitting the stumps and beating the batsman through sheer speed off the pitch and never intimidated the batsman. With the new ball, he was equally fast as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Harold-Larwood-c61642 of England.”
Career with Railways
Mohammad Nissar joined “The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Railways-c836 (PWR). A man of charming manners, Nissar’s ready wit and sense of humour also won him a lot of admirers. Once, when a railway official was engaged in a heated argument with a cricket commentator who had ironically referred to the fact that “India’s fastest bowler was working for the India’s slowest railway (BNWR)”, Nissar smilingly intervened and changed an unpleasant situation into a pleasant one by exchanging a witty repartee with the commentator.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Cricket
Mohammad Nissar had good knowledge of cricket, which was very useful in 1951-52 when he was Pakistan’s selector with Chief Justice A. R. Cornelius (Chairman), Dr. Dilawar Hussain, J. Naoomal, Tajammul Hussain and A.H. Kardar (Captain); he helped in bringing Pakistan Cricket on the world map.
He also captained the Pakistan’s Commander-in-Chief’s XI against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 in 1948 and Ceylon in 1950.
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