Mohammad Ebrahim Zainuddin "Ebbu" Ghazali (15 June 1924 – 26 April 2003) was a Pakistan Air Force officer, cricketer and cricket administrator who played for Pakistan in two Tests in 1954.

Ebbu Ghazali
M.E.Z. Ghazali in 1954
Personal information
Full name
Mohammad Ebrahim Zainuddin Ghazali
Born(1924-06-15)15 June 1924
Bombay, British India
(Now Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)
Died26 April 2003(2003-04-26) (aged 78)
Karachi, Pakistan
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm offbreak
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 18)1 July 1954 v England
Last Test22 July 1954 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1942/43–1946/47Maharashtra
1953/54–1955/56Combined Services
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class
Matches 2 47
Runs scored 32 1701
Batting average 8.00 27.43
100s/50s 0/0 2/7
Top score 18 160
Balls bowled 48 5065
Wickets 0 61
Bowling average 34.27
5 wickets in innings 2
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 5/28
Catches/stumpings 0/– 17/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 10 October 2022

Early life and family edit

Ghazali was born in Bombay, British India, on 15 June 1924, in a Urdu-speaking Konkani Muslim family.[1][2] His family migrated to Karachi after the partition of India in 1947.[2]

Ghazali was the son-in-law of Feroze Khan who won a gold medal in the 1928 Olympics for India in field hockey and whose son Farooq Feroze Khan served as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee in the Pakistan Air Force.[3] He was also a relative of Ijaz Faqih: his sister was Ijaz Faqih's mother-in-law.[4]

Career edit

Ghazali played first-class cricket in India and Pakistan from 1943 to 1956.[5] A middle-order batsman and off-spin bowler, he made his top score in the inaugural season of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy when he scored 160 and 61 for Combined Services against Karachi, in December 1953.[6] He took his best bowling figures of 5 for 28 in April 1955 when he captained Combined Services against Punjab in the semi-final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.[7]

He toured England with the Pakistan team in 1954, but was only moderately successful, making 601 runs at an average of 28.61 and taking 17 wickets at 39.64.[8] In his second Test, at Old Trafford, he was dismissed for a pair within two hours.[citation needed]

After his playing career, Ghazali became an administrator. He managed Pakistan's tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1972–73.[9] He served in the Pakistan Air Force, reaching the rank of wing commander.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "MEZ Ghazali passes away". ESPN. 28 April 2003.
  2. ^ a b Ahmed, Qamar (30 January 2020). "Former Pakistan fast bowler Munaf passes away". DAWN.COM.
  3. ^ "Oldest Living Olympic Gold Medallist belongs to Field Hockey Living at Karachi Feroz Khan celebrates 100th anniversary". digital.la84.org.
  4. ^ "Cricketing Dynasties: The twenty two families of Pakistan Test cricket — Part 8". www.thenews.com.pk.
  5. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Ebrahim Ghazali". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Karachi v Combined Services 1953-54". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Punjab v Combined Services 1954-55". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  8. ^ Wisden 1955, p. 220.
  9. ^ Wisden 2004, p. 1542.

External links edit