Pakistan Cricketer Muhammad Ebrahim Ghazali has known simply as Muhammad Ghazali or by his nickname “Ibbu”. He played in his only two test matches against England on the famous tour of 1954. A dubious distinction that he achieved during the rubber in the third test match at Old Trafford, he was dismissed for the fastest pair in Test match history. This is all within a matter of two hours.
Muhammad Ghazali was a prominent figure in the later part of Pakistan’s cricket history. He was an off-spinning all-rounder who can bat right-handed. For several years, in cricketing publications around the world. He continued being referred to as a left-handed batsman and having been born in the Indian State of Gujarat. He was actually born in Bombay.
It was in Maharashtra that he made his first-class debut in 1942-43 at the age of 18 and later played for the Muslims and South Zone in India before appearing for Sindh in newly independent Pakistan. Soon after, he became an important member of the Combined Service team that represented on the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Championship circuit.
On the 1954 tour of England in all, he scored 601 runs at an average of 28.61 and took 17 wickets at 39.64 in the first-class matches. He played the second and third of the four tests. Ebrahim was neither a part of an inaugural match at Lord’s nor the memorable 24 run victory at the Oval in the fourth test. But he enjoyed the victory with the team. He was also a member of the strong Pakistan Eaglets side which toured England the year before. His highest first-class score was 160 for Combined Service against Karachi at the Aga Khan Gymkhana Ground in 1953-54. His best bowling was 5 for 58 came the following season against Punjab at Lahore.
Muhammad Ebrahim Ghazali served as an administrator after his retirement in the mid-1950s. He was managed by the Pakistan tour of Australia in 1972-73. By which time he was a wing commander in the Pakistan Air Force. He also replaced Omer Qureshi in the capacity of management on the 1978-79 tour of Australia and New Zealand. After that, the former had to rush back home due to other professional commitments. Although Muhammad Aslam Khokhar one of his teammates on the 1954 tour of England beat him in becoming the first century-maker in a first-class match on Pakistan soil. He also did achieve the distinction of making a ton in the new country’s maiden first-class match.
