________________
Where There Is a Will, There Is A Way
Once the 'World News' reported that the achievements of many physically challenged people have been most glaring. In various walks of life, many brave persons, afflicted by various kinds of deformities, have fought as equals with those who were endowed by nature with a healthy body. Similar is the case of Azim Hafeez, a cricketing wonder of Pakistan. There was a cricketer with only one arm with the MCC in the past, but someone who played in a Test match was indeed a unique event.
The Indian cricket team was touring Pakistan in the year 1984. In the very first Test match played at Lahore, this 21 year old left hand medium pacer placed the Indian side in a very tight position. This despite the fact that the Pakistani team then had not selected fast bowlers like Imran Khan and Sarfaraz Nawaz. His 73 deliveries in the first innings of the first Test match created havoc for the Indian team. Bowling after lunch on the third day, he captured six Indian wickets and that changed the entire complexion of the game. When Sunil Gavaskar was at the crease, everyone thought that he would be able to score the twenty-first century of his cricketing career, and his sixth against Pakistan in that innings. But, illluck would have it, he was caught by Salim Malik in the square leg in the tenth over, sent by Azim Hafeez. Then in Azim's thirteenth over, Dilip Vengsarkar returned to the pavilion, caught by wicket-keeper Ashraf Ali when the Indian batsman
155