Sarfraz Nawaz facts for kids

Sarfraz Nawaz Malik (born 1 December 1948) is a famous former Pakistani cricketer and politician. He played a big part in Pakistan's first ever Test series wins against India and England.

From 1969 to 1984, he played 55 Test matches and 45 One Day Internationals (ODIs). He took 177 Test wickets, showing he was a very skilled bowler. Sarfraz Nawaz is also known for being one of the first bowlers to use a special technique called reverse swing.

Early Life and Background

Sarfraz Nawaz was born in Lahore, Pakistan. His family had a business in construction. His father, Malik Muhammad Nawaz, was a contractor. Sarfraz himself started working in construction in 1965. He even planned to build a cricket stadium for Government College University Lahore. However, this project did not happen because of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965.

Education and Early Cricket

Sarfraz finished his early schooling in 1962. He played for a cricket club in Mozang. Later, he became the captain of the Punjab University cricket team. This showed his early talent and leadership in cricket.

Personal Life and Interests

In 1985, Sarfraz married Rani, a Pakistani film actress. He also received offers to act in movies during the 1970s. However, he always turned them down. He felt that acting was not something he was good at.

Cricket Career

Sarfraz Nawaz had a long and exciting cricket career. He was known for his unique bowling style.

Starting His Cricket Journey

Sarfraz played his first Test match against England in 1969. He was only 20 years old at the time. After this match, he was not selected for the team for three years.

In 1972–73, he made a strong comeback against Australia. He took 4 wickets in each innings at the SCG. He got important Australian players out, like Ian and Greg Chappell.

In 1974, at Headingley, Sarfraz showed his batting skills. He scored 53 runs quickly, helping his team reach a better score. He hit the ball hard against some of England's best bowlers.

Against the West Indies in 1974–75, he took 6 wickets in one innings in Lahore. This helped his team keep the West Indies to a low score. However, both the match and the series ended in a draw.

Sarfraz was even made vice-captain of the team at one point. In 1978, he took 5 wickets against England at Lord's. This helped reduce England's score. But rain stopped the game, and it was a draw.

A big moment came in 1978–79 against India. Sarfraz took 4 wickets and then 5 wickets in the final Test in Karachi. This helped Pakistan win the match by eight wickets. He took 17 wickets in that series, which was the most by any player. Pakistan won their first Test series against India, a huge achievement.

Amazing Performance in Australia (1979)

Sarfraz Nawaz had his most famous bowling performance on 15 March 1979. This was during the First Test against Australia in Melbourne. Australia needed only 77 runs to win, with many wickets still left.

Then, Sarfraz bowled incredibly well. He took 7 wickets for only 4 runs in just 33 balls! This amazing spell helped Pakistan win the match by 71 runs. His 9 wickets for 86 runs in one innings was a record at the time. It was the best bowling by a Pakistani player in a Test match.

In the same series, there was a unique moment involving Sarfraz. An Australian batsman, Andrew Hilditch, picked up the ball after a throw from a fielder. Sarfraz appealed, and the umpire ruled Hilditch out for "handled the ball." This was only the second time in Test cricket history this had happened. While it followed the rules, some people felt it was against the spirit of the game.

Later Career Highlights

Sarfraz also played for Northamptonshire in England. In a 1980 final match, he took 3 wickets for only 23 runs. This helped his team win a close game.

In 1983–84, he again played a key role against England in Karachi. He took 4 wickets and 2 wickets in the match. He even scored the winning runs for Pakistan.

His last Test match was in Lahore against England. In the first part of the match, he took 4 wickets. Later, when Pakistan was struggling, Sarfraz scored 90 runs. This was his highest score ever in Test and first-class cricket. He helped his captain, Zaheer Abbas, add many runs. This strong performance helped Pakistan win their first Test series against England.

Bowling Style and Reverse Swing

Sarfraz Nawaz was very tall, standing 6 feet 6 inches. He was strong and could bowl at a fast-medium pace. He could make the ball move in the air in different ways.

He was especially known for developing reverse swing. This is a special way to make an old cricket ball swing in the air in an unexpected direction. At the time, commentators didn't fully understand what he was doing. But they noticed his amazing ability to make the old ball move.

Sarfraz shared his knowledge of reverse swing with other famous Pakistani bowlers. These included Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis. They later became very famous for using this technique in the late 1980s and 1990s.

As a batsman, Sarfraz was good at hitting the ball hard, especially lower down the batting order.

Speaking Out for Fair Play

Sarfraz Nawaz was a strong supporter of fair play in cricket. He often spoke out about his concerns regarding the integrity of the game. He believed it was important to keep cricket honest and free from any unfair practices. He encouraged thorough investigations when issues arose.

Life After Cricket

After his cricket career, Sarfraz Nawaz moved into a new field.

Political Career

In 1985, Sarfraz stopped playing cricket and started a career in politics. He was elected as a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab. This meant he represented people in the Punjab region.

Under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, he became the vice chairman of the Punjab Sports Board. Later, he joined the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). He was then appointed as an adviser on sports to the Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto.

In 2011, Sarfraz joined another political party called Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

Coaching Career

In 2006, Sarfraz used his cricket knowledge to become a coach. He was chosen as the bowling coach for the Delhi cricket team in India. This was for the 2006-2007 Ranji Trophy season.