Sharjah: Bazid Khan hails from the famous Khan clan of Pakistan cricket. Only twice in the history of cricket have grandfather, father and son played Test cricket. Bazid, who is one of the commentators in Pakistan Super League, is the son of legendary Pakistan opener Majid Khan. His grandfather Jahangir Khan had represented British India before the Independence of Pakistan in 1947. The only other instance is West Indies’ George Headley whose son Ronald represented West Indies and Ronald’s son Dean who played for England in Tests.
Bazid’s uncles are Imran Khan, who lifted the 1992 World Cup for Pakistan and Javed Burki, who also captained Pakistan in the sixties.
The tale of Bazid, who played in only one Test is one of the complexities in Pakistan cricket. Thirty-six-year-old Bazid never gave up and used his knowledge of the game and has become one of the most eloquent commentators of the game. During his playing days Bazid was so consistent that he had averaged around 70 in domestic cricket but was repeatedly ignored by selectors. His family valued cricket traditions and being true sportsmen they never exerted their influence to get Bazid selected.
Jehangir was so principled that when his son Majid rose to knock at the doors of Pakistan team, he resigned as chief selector to maintain impartiality in selection.
Speaking to Gulf News, Bazid revealed how tough it was to handle the pressure of comparison with his illustrious parents. “In my playing days there were always that comparison to my father and all that extra pressure but the legacy, once you look back and sit down and talk to my all uncles and my father, there is so much cricketing history that they can tell me or guide you, it’s phenomenal. Unfortunately, especially in the subcontinent, if you are a famous cricketer’s son you are always going to get compared to him and not be actually compared to yourself or how good a player you are. This is little bit of added pressure or otherwise it is fantastic to have that head start.”
Bazid got considered for only one Test match in West Indies in 2005, mainly due to his huge scores in domestic cricket, and played in the 2005 Bridgetown Test in which Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul cracked centuries. Bazid scored nine and 23 and was the fourth highest scorer in the second innings in which four batsmen got out for duck and Pakistan lost by 276 runs. Bazid went on to play five One Day Internationals and his last innings was a knock of 51 against Bangladesh in 2008 and never got picked again. “There was always disappointment because nobody in the history of limited overs cricket in Pakistan has scored a 50 in his last innings and never played again. We have heard of cricketers scoring a 50 and retiring from cricket but it did not happen that way. If you think it was fate it is OK but the unique record of scoring a fifty and never being played again makes me feel I should have been tested more at the international level.”
Bazid is happy that such instances of being ignored have reduced now, thanks to PSL. “Youngsters get more exposure now. Ten years ago you would never have the experience like now even if you played in the same team of Wasim Akram as he may play only one game in five years. Now we have Akram as coach, Viv Richards as mentor and youngsters spend a month or so with top quality players.”
Bazid carries tales of his grandfather, who while playing against MCC at Lords’s in 1936 struck and killed an airborne sparrow. The bird is stuffed and mounted on the match ball and exhibited in the MCC museum at Lord’s. His father Majid, after huge scores in England was addressed by British Media as Majestic Khan. Bazid entertains fans with the knowledge of the game gained out of being born into the proud Khan clan in Pakistan cricket.
