Ijaz Ahmed (cricketer, born 1968)

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Ijaz Ahmed (Urdu: Template:Nastaliq) (born 20 September 1968) is a Pakistani cricket coach and former cricketer who played 60 Test matches and 250 One Day Internationals for Pakistan from 1986 to 2001. He was a part of the Pakistani squad which won the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

Personal life

Born in Sialkot, his family roots lie in the city of Jalandhar (now in Punjab, India) where some of his cousins still live.<ref>Inzamam-ul-Haq, 28 May 1997, Outlook India. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. "Teammate Ijaz Ahmed nods along. Contrary to media reports, he too could not meet cousins in Jalandhar for the same reason."</ref>

He is a brother-in-law of former Pakistan international cricketer and captain Saleem Malik.<ref name="TNS" />

Cricket career

Ahmed scored six Test centuries against the world's top-ranked side, Australia – a record number of centuries by a Pakistani against Australia, shared with Javed Miandad. However, 33 of his 92 innings yielded single-figure scores, 54 of them yielded scores below 20.

Ijaz Ahmed came into the national side at the height of the Imran Khan era, and remained on the fringes for nearly a decade, despite several good scores. Dropped after the 1992 World Cup, he came back strongly the following season and established himself at the pivotal "one down" position. He performed poorly at the 1999 World Cup, and the arrival of Younis Khan brought an end to his international career. He formally retired from cricket in 2003.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ahmed's 250 matches is the seventh-highest of all time in Pakistan, behind Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Wasim Akram, Saleem Malik, Younis Khan, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Malik.

A powerful hitter of the ball, Ahmed became the second Pakistani batsman to score 10 ODI centuries. At Lahore, in 1997, Ahmed collapsed the Indian bowling attack by making a quick century off just 68 balls including 9 sixes, remaining not out for 139*; his highest ODI score.

In Test cricket, Ahmed scored 12 Test centuries, including his first and only double century against Sri Lanka, when he scored 211. Ahmed is the top scorer for Pakistan side against South Africa.

On 21 April 1997, in a Test match against Sri Lanka, Ahmed was at the crease on 97, when a run-out attempt brought ambiguity in the decision. However, replays declared Salim Malik as dismissed, and Ahmad was called back to the crease. This was the first time for a batsman to return from the pavilion to the crease since 1987.<ref>Ijaz Ahmed in 1987 Cricket World Cup. Retrieved on 31-12-2011 Template:Webarchive</ref>

International centuries

Ijaz Ahmed made 22 centuries in international cricket – 12 in Test cricket and 10 in One Day Internationals. He scored his first Test century against Australia at Faisalabad in September 1988, scoring 122.<ref name="1st Test 100">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He scored his final Test century, also against Australia at the Perth on in November 1999,<ref name="last Test 100">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> scoring 115. His highest Test score is 211, scored against Sri Lanka at Dhaka in 1999.<ref name="Test high score">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He scored his first ODI century against Bangladesh at Chittagong, scoring 124*.<ref name="1st ODI 100">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He scored his final ODI century against England at Sharjah in 1999,<ref name="last ODI 100">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> scoring 137. His highest ODI score of 139 not out came against India in 1997 at Lahore.<ref name="ODI high score">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>	No.	Score	Against	Pos.	Inn.	Test	Venue	H/A/N	Date	Result	Ref
1	Template:Ntsh 122	Template:Cr	6	1	2/3	Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad	Home	Template:Dts	Drawn	<ref name="1st Test 100" />
2	Template:Ntsh 121	Template:Cr	5	4	1/3	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne	Away	Template:Dts	Lost	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
3	Template:Ntsh 137	Template:Cr	3	1	3/3	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney	Away	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
4	Template:Ntsh 103	Template:Cr	3	3	1/1	Lancaster Park, Christchurch	Away	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
5	Template:Ntsh 141	Template:Cr	3	1	2/3	Headingley, Leeds	Away	Template:Dts	Drawn	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
6	Template:Ntsh 125	Template:Cr	3	2	2/2	Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi	Home	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
7	Template:Ntsh 113	Template:Cr	3	2	1/2	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo	Away	Template:Dts	Drawn	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
8	Template:Ntsh 151	Template:Cr	2	2	3/3	National Stadium, Karachi	Home	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
9	Template:Ntsh 155	Template:Cr	3	2	2/3	Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar	Home	Template:Dts	Drawn	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
10	Template:Ntsh 120 not out	Template:Cr	3	4	3/3	National Stadium, Karachi	Home	Template:Dts	Drawn	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
11	Template:Ntsh 211	Template:Cr	3	2	Final	Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka	Neutral	Template:Dts	Won	<ref name="Test high score" />
12	Template:Ntsh 115	Template:Cr	3	3	3/3	WACA Ground, Perth	Away	Template:Dts	Lost	<ref name="last Test 100" />

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>	No.	Score	Against	Pos.	Inn.	SR	Venue	H/A/N	Date	Result	Ref
1	Template:Ntsh 124 not out	Template:Cr	4	1	142.52	M. A. Aziz Stadium, Chittagong	Away	Template:Dts	Won	<ref name="1st ODI 100" />
2	Template:Ntsh 102 not out	Template:Cr	3	2	102.00	The Gabba, Brisbane	Neutral	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
3	Template:Ntsh 110	Template:Cr	5	1	100.00	Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi	Home	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
4	Template:Ntsh 114 not out	Template:Cr	3	2	126.66	Kingsmead, Durban	Away	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
5	Template:Ntsh 117	Template:Cr	3	1	111.42	Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar	Home	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
6	Template:Ntsh 139 not out	Template:Cr	1	2	165.47	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore	Home	Template:Dts	Won	<ref name="ODI high score" />
7	Template:Ntsh 117	Template:Cr	4	1	104.46	Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka	Neutral	Template:Dts	Lost	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
8	Template:Ntsh 111	Template:Cr	3	1	101.83	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore	Home	Template:Dts	Lost	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
9	Template:Ntsh 132	Template:Cr	3	1	128.15	Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi	Home	Template:Dts	Won	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
10	Template:Ntsh 137	Template:Cr	3	1	105.38	Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah	Neutral	Template:Dts	Won	<ref name="last ODI 100" />

Coaching career

In 2011, the PCB named Ijaz, then a fielding coach, as the national side's batting consultant for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was later appointed assistant coach of the national team before the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe on request of team management.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ahmed was appointed as the coach of Pakistan's Under-19 cricket team on 20 October 2019.<ref>Ijaz Ahmed – U-19 Coach.Retrieved on 31-12-2011 Template:Webarchive</ref>

He has been the head coach for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Controversies

Fraud case

In 2009, he was jailed for fake issuance of bank cheques.<ref name="TNS" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was remanded for six weeks in jail and later received a bail.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2012, a local court charged him with forgery.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Racism against Pashtuns

Ijaz Ahmed was heavily criticized by a large number of former cricket players, and journalists after he made racist remarks about the number of Pashtun players in the Pakistan cricket team, calling them illiterate and accusing them of not being able to handle pressure because of their upbringing on a talk show in ARY channel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

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