Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan passed away in Lahore on Saturday. He served two terms as PCB chairman and was considered a great promoter of India-Pakistan cricket. He was 89.
He represented an era when cricket administrators worked tirelessly to promote the sport, and Shaharyar was among the most respected in the sub-continent. Shaharyar’s first term was from December 2003 to October 2006 followed by another from August 2014 to August 2017.
Shaharyar was born in Bhopal and was former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s cousin. He also served as the Pakistan team manager on the 1999 tour to India and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 in South Africa. He readily encouraged interactions between the Indian media and the Pakistani players.
A former diplomat and author of four books, Shaharyar was Pakistan’s ambassador to Jordan (1976), London (1987), and France (1999-2001). According to noted Pakistan cricket historian and commentator Dr. Nauman Niaz, Shaharyar was “a thorough gentleman; he will be remembered for his contributions to Pakistan. His was a life well spent.”
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar having a word with Shaharyar Khan (L), Javed Miandad (C) and Moin Khan (R) during the Asian Test Championship match between India and Pakistan at Eden Gardens in 1999. | Photo Credit: N. SRIDHARAN/THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Despite efforts to promote a bilateral series between India and Pakistan, he was compelled to follow his government’s order during his second stint as PCB chairman. There were hurdles in Pakistan’s participation in the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, and he claimed his players were concerned about security. “Every player is worried. Since the threats are Pakistan-specific, we can’t take chances,” Khan had said. Pakistan eventually travelled for the World Cup.
Shaharyar came to India in the preceding year to revive India-Pakistan cricket, but the Indian authorities dismissed his claim that PCB had incurred a loss of USD 200 million because of India’s refusal to play Pakistan between 2015 and 2023.
In an interview with Sportstar in New Delhi in October 2015, Shaharyar claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the government were bowing to the will of extremists who opposed an India-Pakistan series. He did not hide his high regard for this publication’s unbiased reporting.
Shaharyar had to cancel his proposed meeting with BCCI president Shashank Manohar in Mumbai when alleged right-wing supporters barged into the board’s office. “I am returning a disappointed man,” he had said. He also expressed his displeasure with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for withdrawing umpire Aleem Dar (Pakistan) from the India-South Africa series.
He firmly believed cricket “could create the atmosphere for better relations between the two countries.”
In Shaharyar’s opinion, there was nothing more exciting than an India-Pakistan cricket clash. “Bigger than the Ashes” was his take when he last visited India. As Niaz described, “Khan was an enviable personality, polite and nice to talk to. A man with ingenious ideas.”
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