A dashing lower-order right-hand batsman and lively right-arm medium-fast bowler, Syed Khalid Wazir was born on 27th April 1936 at Jullundur. He was the son of Syed Wazir Ali, who himself was an all-India cricketer of great repute and played test cricket for India before the partition. He got his initial schooling from St. Patrick High School in Karachi and passed his Matriculation.
He was a prominent member of the Pak Moghuls Cricket Club in Karachi. He began his cricket at St. Patrick High School in Karachi.
In 1952-53, he made his first-class debut for The Rest XI against Pakistan XI at Karachi Goan Association Ground in Karachi and showed his prowess as a valuable new-ball operator. He scored 4 & 10 besides taking 2-50 & 1-10 in the match. This was also his solitary match of the season. As a promising all-rounder with a superb track record at his school, he was appointed Captain of Karachi Schools that toured Ceylon in 1953.
SYED KHALID WAZIR
Born on 27 Apr 1936
Died on 27 Jun 2022
Pakistani Cricketer
In 1953-54, he appeared for MS Hasan Mahmood XI against LW Cannon’s XI at Karachi Goan Association Ground in Karachi. This was also a benefit match for his father, Syed Wazir Ali. He scored only 4 runs in the first innings and was not required to bat in the second. However, he took 1-92 & 1-30 in both innings of the match. But seemed to have enough promise, he was selected for the Pakistan team tour of England in 1954.
Khalid Wazir was one of the youngest and least experienced of the touring squad and had only two first-class matches to show for his credentials. Unfortunately, he remained unsuccessful during the tour because the country was experiencing one of its wettest summers ever and most of the Pakistan team players failed to get enough practice between the four test matches. However, Khalid Wazir apparently has done enough in the earlier part of the tour, to win a place in the first test match at Lord’s.
He was just 18 years & 44 days old when he was inducted into the Pakistan side as a specialist batsman. But he could not have bowled in the only England innings in which Fazal Mahmood and Khan Muhammad bowled unchanged. The Lord’s test did not get underway until on the fourth day afternoon as the first three days were completely washed out. Pakistan team was all-out for a meagre 87 runs and Khalid Wazir coming in at number-eight was out after making just 3 runs.
He did not play in the second test at Nottingham but was back in the third test at Manchester, which was also drastically hit by rain. On all five days, only 11 hours of play is possible. Once again Khalid Wazir did not bowl, although England scored 359 runs and came in at number nine in the first innings, managing just 2 runs. Pakistan after following on, Khalid Wazir was sent in at number six. He was unbeaten with 9 runs, but there was no further play on the fourth and fifth days of the test match.
Khalid Wazir did not appear in the fourth & final test at the Oval and overall on the tour he scored 253 runs at 16.86 with the highest score of 53 and took 9 wickets at 62.66 with the best of 3-82. He also decided to make England his home after the tour had ended. He took up a job with an Insurance Company and for cricketing purposes, stayed in the clubs around the Staffordshire League circuit for several subsequent years. However, he was totally lost to Pakistan cricket while still under 19 years of age.
Khalid Wazir never appeared for his native Karachi and most of his first-class cricket was on England’s soil where he represented the national side for 16 first-class matches.
During the 1962 tour, he was summoned to the Pakistan team while performing well in league cricket in England, following the breakdown of a few of the fast bowlers. But the lack of liaison between Captain Javed Burki and administrators in Pakistan denied him the opportunity to display his talents.
In 1960, he played as a professional for Great Chell CC in the North Staffordshire & District League, where he took 89 wickets at 8.10 runs apiece. In 1963, for Crompton CC in the same league, he captured 74 wickets at 9.70 runs apiece. In 1964, he appeared for Nantwich CC and took 54 wickets at 13.57 runs apiece. He also played one season with Lowerhouse CC in East Lancashire League.
With such a notable cricketing pedigree, Khalid Wazir seemed destined to play Tests for a long number of years, but his entire first-class career lasted a grand total of two seasons. Overall, in first-class matches, he scored 271 runs at 15.05 with the highest score of 53 runs and took 14 wickets at 53.28 runs apiece with a best of 3-82 in 18 first-class matches.
Cricket was very much in the blood, as his father Syed Wazir Ali and uncle Syed Nazir Ali, were two of the leading Muslim players of the sub-continent and not surprisingly featured in India’s first-ever Test match, against England at Lord’s in 1932. His cousin Syed Asif Nazir son of Syed Nazir Ali has also played first-class cricket for Lahore.
He peacefully passed away at Chester in England on 27th June 2020 after a protracted illness. He was 84 years & 61 days old at the time of his death.
