Life As Cricket Commentator
Kureishi's devotion to cricket, in his own words, started as "a passion" and eventually became "a love affair" which "remained a constant" in his life through all its "ups and downs". Though he had never played first class or test cricket, (his only exposure to competitive cricket at an organised level was a brief stint in club cricket in the UK when he went there during his life as student), he was still recognised as an outstanding and extremely knowledgeable cricket commentator. He shared the Test Match Special commentary box during Pakistan's early tours to England and together with Jamsheed Marker, he was a regular voice on the airwaves in Pakistan during the late 1950s and ’60s. Bill Frindall, the TMS Statistician, describes him as a "a lively, witty and popular colleague" and calls him "the voice of Asian sport". Kureishi counted many cricketers, most notably the late Abdul Hafeez Kardar, as his close friends. The media centre at the Qadhafi Stadium in Lahore is named after him. He was also member of the International Cricket Council panel which selects the world’s best Test and one-day international players for its annual awards.
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