SINCE 1965, when the first postage stamp depicting a human face was released in Pakistan to pay homage to the country’s armed forces, it has become a common practice to honour distinguished perso- nalities by issuing commemorative postage stamps. A prominent name missing from the list of persons honoured with a commemorative postage stamp is that of Omar Kureishi, an internationally recognised cricket commentator, sports writer, author with almost a dozen titles to his credit, columnist, marketing and public relations practitioner, and a storyteller par excellence.

He was recognised as an outstanding and extremely knowledgeable cricket commentator. He shared the BBC Test Match Special (TMS) commentary box during Pakistan’s tours to England, and was a regular voice on the airwaves in Pakistan from the late 1950s till 1980s. He was a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) panel that selects the world’s best Test and One-Day International (ODI) players for its annual awards. Besides, Omar Kureishi was the manager of Pakistan team more than once, including the one that toured England in 1974 during which Pakistan did not lose a single Test or first class match, becoming only the second team to achieve the feat behind the Australian Invincibles.

Omar Kureishi passed away on March 14, 2005, at the age of 77. The government did recognise his services by awarding him the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2001, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named the media centre at the Qadhafi Stadium in Lahore after him. It would be most appropriate to recognise Omar Kureishi by issuing a postage stamp to honour the iconic personality. Additionally, the PCB should have an Omar Kureishi stand at the National Stadium, and should launch an Omar Kureishi Memorial Lecture series featuring eminent players as speakers.

Moin Mohajir
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2024