Cricket fanatics it is that time of the year when the passion for the game touches its zenith, the time when the fans get to play the game, the time when the fever for cricket especially in the night hits an all-time high! The month of Ramazan is, as always set to be nothing less than a sporting carnival all across the country; youngsters are eager to drive home their passion for football, volleyball and carom amongst others and of course the game of glorious uncertainties, one we all are in love with.

While there are numerous tournaments with the actual cricket ball all across the country, there remains one variety that is popular with almost every Pakistani, tape ball cricket; legend has it that taping a tennis ball was introduced to Karachi some three decades ago.

The transition from tennis to tape tennis ball came around the time the Kerry Packer revolution hit international cricket, the introduction of white balls, coloured clothing, black sight screens and floodlit cricket brought a new dimension and thrill. While closer to home, tape ball generated a new interest in players and fans alike.

In the earlier days, the areas of Nazimabad, Malir, and PNT Colony were the bases of tape ball cricket, the drama gripped every one in these localities and soon tournaments started taking place in Ramazan. Nazimabad had the best tape ball talent of the country; teams like Bombay Town, Nazimabad Town and Metroville dominated as the leading outfits of the area.

Amongst themselves they were fiercely competitive, with the batsmen and bowlers fighting tooth and nail till the end. In areas like PNT Colony near Gizri, young and old were hooked onto the game, the biggest thrill for them was the low cost of playing. The most popular brand of tape in the early days was ‘Nito’ available for as low as five rupees in many colours, of which the more popular have always been red and white.

A player of the PNT area Nadir, now in his 40′s recalls a typical match at the PNT Ground, “In the 80s we had a great team; our battles with the Nazimabad outfits were always intriguing and exciting. In Ramazan it used to be nothing less than a carnival, while normally as soon as afternoon sat-in we started playing. Our ground was flocked by area residents, even the elderly used to be glued to the action. Most of them used to have a cigarette in one hand, with the other hand gesturing at the players and we were often greeted by a hurl of abuses every time we failed to live up to their expectations”.

Interestingly, tape ball cricket has also remained immensely popular in the posh areas of Karachi; youngsters from affluent backgrounds have also been playing the game for ever! In the 80s and 90s, tape teenaged boys were seen playing almost every where in Defence and Clifton, one such player was Ilyas Bashir.

He recalls that the evenings back then were spent playing cricket with the sole emphasis being on making the best of the short two-hour window after school and tuition hours. “Our parents used to allow us only two hours to play, tape ball cricket was the best way to spend those hours. The players used to contribute in buying the equipment and were often banished from an area after shattering a neighbour’s window. In Ramazan we held tournaments, but were often sent packing in the first round as better teams from other areas whipped us with consummate ease”.

So here is what makes tape ball cricket compelling; generally an electrical tape is wrapped on a tennis ball; this way the ball hardens and swings, seams and spins like a proper cricket ball besides traveling faster and longer off the bat.

The ‘ground’ is often a street, a narrow passage in a neighbourhood or if one is lucky, an open field with boundaries. A tape ball match is generally of 8-12 overs which means that everything takes place at frenetic speed, be it the search for runs or wickets. The pitch is around 18 meters, supporters of both teams are glued to the action as they place themselves in close proximity to the pitch, yelling and shouting as they guide the men in the middle. Batsmen generally enjoy the tape ball as it travels a long way and at times even a half decent connection clears the boundary.

On the other hand, a bowler who can bowl at a genuine pace loves the challenge of stifling the willow wielders; the aim is to bowl at the batsman’s feet, yorker after yorker or deceive him with a slower ball or a ‘finger’. The drama is pulsating for players and spectators alike.
Cricketing experts and former players have varying opinions on the merits of tape ball cricket especially for youngsters who want to make an impression in regular cricket.

The current head of the national selection committee Mohsin Khan who played 48 tests for Pakistan thinks that tape ball is meant for fun only and should not be taken seriously by professional cricketers. “Tape ball is pure entertainment, however it can have an adverse affect on the technique of the batsmen as the challenges posed by a cricket ball are totally different to a taped one, professional cricketers can have the odd indulgence especially during Ramazan, however they should not play this version regularly”.

He recalled that the national team used to practice with a wet tennis ball before tours of the West Indies and Australia in a bid to cope with the pace and bounce on the wickets there, “We used to soak tennis balls in water and play on cement wickets, this way the batsmen learnt to cope with the pace and bounce abroad, the practice paid rich dividends,” Mohsin stated.

Pakistan’s leading test spinner Danish Kaneria also had a passion for tape ball cricket in his early days, “I used to love playing cricket and tape ball was what I was introduced to first, I remember making a big impact for the Don Bosco club during a tournament played at the St. Patrick Cathedral, Karachi in 1996. I bowled a leg-spin in that event and my performance made me believe in my ability and helped me pursue my cricketing ambitions”. Kaneria revealed that his coach stopped him from bowling with a tape ball at that juncture; he felt that the softer, smaller ball would make it tough for his pupil to master the hard cricket ball. Most Pakistani fast bowlers who give batsmen a run for their money, have famously honed their skills on the streets playing tape ball.

Another Pakistani quick who is aiming to follow in their footsteps is left-armer Sohail Tanvir, the lanky southpaw is also a decent batsman. Like his predecessors, Sohail first took up tape ball cricket. He stole the show in a tournament held in Gujranwala some six years ago, Sohail recalls that he dazzled with both bat and ball and led his team to victory in the event, even pocketing the Man of the Tournament Award.

I ran into the then Pakistan captain Moin Khan in a tape ball match in 2000, I was the proud opening bowler of my team and my first over was taken for 20 runs; the experience was miserable for an average yet passionate tape ball bowler, never mind though, the thrill must never stop.

Emmad Hameed has resigned to the fact that this life will be spent writing about something he has eaten, dreamt and slept for the first 29 years of his existence: Cricket.

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.