From A to Zed

Zaheer Abbas is rightly celebrated as one of Pakistan’sgreatest batters, and his relationship with the UK also occupies a specialplace in cricket history. England was not merely a venue where he played; itwas a stage on which his artistry flourished, his reputation soared, and hislegacy became woven into the fabric of British cricket culture. From majestic Test centuries – he averaged over 50 againstEngland – to prolific county cricket seasons and a profound influence ongenerations of British Asian cricketers, Zaheer’s impact in the UK was huge. Ata time when Pakistan was still shaping its identity on the global stage, andwith cricket such an important part of the nation’s culture, he emerged as asymbol of elegance, consistency, and quiet authority. Born on 24 July, 1947, in Sialkot, mere weeks before thecreation of Pakistan, Zaheer grew up in a nation finding its voice, and cricketquickly became one of its most powerful expressions of pride and unity. From ayoung boy who would sneak out of the house and cross the river to a makeshiftground where villagers would bowl at him for hours on end, to a bespectacledyoung batter who scored 274 in his first ever Test match innings in England, tobecoming a county stalwart with Gloucestershire, to playing in Kerry Packer’sWorld Series Cricket, to scoring a century of centuries – the only Asian batterto have done so – in a Test match against great rivals India, to captaining hiscountry, to marrying an Indian girl, and to becoming just the third cricketerto hold the role of ICC president, Zaheer’s is a cricketing life like no other. In this definitive autobiography, he talks us through thehighs and lows, the friendships and rivalries from a truly fascinating periodof cricketing history, with giants of cricket like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad,Geoffrey Boycott, Dennis Lillee and the mighty West Indies, graced the game.

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