Shaharyar Mohammad Khan will long be remembered as one of the most decent persons in the fields of cricket administration and foreign diplomacy, who has died just six days from his 90th birthday. His noble demeanours manifested his noble background. He came from the family of Nawabs in Bhopal and had a dignified and pristine background. Not only high-profile ancestors were his identity, but also quality education, etiquettes and empathy were the hallmark of his personality. Whoever had met him would vouch for his sophisticated nature, always ready to host anyone and would go all out to help in case anyone needed him.
His grandfather Hameedullah Khan was Nawab of Bhopal. So Shaharyar Khan was born with a silver spoon in mouth but his mother Abida Sultan brought him up with virtues of decency and altruism. Abida left for Pakistan, leaving the thorn of Bhopal to her sister Sajida. Sajida later married to Iftikhar Ali Khan Patudi and his son Mansur later captained India.
Before migration, Shaharyar was sent to the UK for higher education, also to save him from the ethnic environment. At just 14, Shaharyar started education and later graduated from the high-profile Cambridge University. He did play cricket for Cambridge and earned the honours of Blues in his youth. He was selected for MCC in 1962 but because of being in foreign service he could not play for that honour. Shaharyar was more interested in foreign service so it won from cricket.
Shaharyar served as foreign secretary between 1990 and 1994. He became a career diplomat and served as ambassador to Jordan and France before taking over the high-profile post of Pakistan high commissioner to the UK.
Because of his connections and reputation in India, Shaharyar was appointed as the manager of Pakistan team for the most talked about tour of India in 1999. It was a period of revival of cricket between the two nations. The two countries had not played any series since 1989 and fundamentalists were against Pakistan touring India. The post-Kargil tension was high. Extremists had dug up a pitch at Feroze Shah Kotla in Delhi but Pakistan’s backing for the tour coupled with Shaharyar Khan’s diplomacy made the tour possible. Pakistan team was highly praised for their conduct and administration — mostly due to Shaharyar Khan’s efforts and plans. He later summed up the tour in a must-read book, “A Bridge of Peace.” Another book “Shadows Across the Playing Fields” was co-authored with Shashi Tharoor while the “Cricket Cauldron” was assisted by his son Ali.
Two PCB tenures to remember:
Shaharyar had two tenures as Pakistan Cricket Board chairman. The first started in December 2003, soon after General Tauqir Zia was removed from the post. Sharayar’s first task was to host India — their first tour since 1989 and the one that paved the way for regular cricket until it was again put on hold in 2007. Pakistan’s hosting of India in 2004 and 2006 will remain in the folklore as the hosting was praised from all quarters. He lost the post in the wake of the Oval fiasco in 2006.
Shaharyar was once again elected as chairman in 2014. This time too, Pakistan cricket needed a good administrator. He helped Pakistan’s revival of international cricket along with Najam Sethi and the Pakistan Super League was also initiated in his tenure. Pakistan also won the Champions Trophy under Shaharyar’s tenure.
An affable, accessible and articulate person, Shaharyar will always be remembered as a decent, diligent and dignified administrator and diplomat.
