Dubai: It is a nostalgic moment for UAE's medium pacer Shehzad Altaf as the ICC Cricket World Cup returns to the sub-continent after 15 years.
In the 1996 World Cup edition, Altaf — opening the bowling for UAE — produced one of the most economical spells in the history of the tournament. At the Lahore Gaddafi Stadium against Netherlands, he bowled UAE to victory with a spell of ten overs, three maidens, 15 runs and one wicket.
"That was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I was born in Lahore and so it was my home ground. Though I played for Pakistan Customs and Lahore Cricket Association alongside many Test players, after shifting to Dubai in 1975, I had lost all hope of playing in a World Cup," Altaf said.
"In 1994, UAE qualified to play in the World Cup and that is how I got to play in the World Cup in front of my home ground."
Miser
"My father, mother, sister, all relatives, former Test player Naveed Anjum — who was my coach — all of them had come to see me in action and it was so exciting to produce a spell that got me into record books in front of them," added Altaf, who has always been a miser in giving away runs. "Many teams are scared about playing the World Cup on sub-continent wickets as they believe that the wickets may not help them. My advice to them is to concentrate on line and length," he said.
"I learned this while playing for Dharmapura Gymkhana in Lahore along side great players like Abdul Qadir, Amir Sohail, Jalaluddin and Akram Raza," says Altaf, who at 38, was the oldest member of the UAE team to play in the World Cup.
It was Altaf's spell which played a pivotal role in UAE defeating Bangladesh in the ICC Trophy World Cup qualifier. "I bowled ten overs against them and gave away just ten runs. In fact, I was not being considered for the ICC Trophy, but before the team selection I bowled this spell of 8 for 17 in the Bukhatir League and emerged as the best bowler of the league," he said.
Altaf also got to bowl for UAE against India in Sharjah's four nation tournament in 1995. "I bowled against batsmen like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VV Laxman and Praveen Amre and returned with figures of ten overs for just 12 runs with five of them maiden," said the bowler, who after his cricketing career set up the Young Talents Cricket Academy in 1998.
"I tell all my students to focus on the basics of cricket and work hard. Only then will it be possible for them to realise their dreams and maybe play in a World Cup too," he concluded.
