Qadir: an epitome of buoyancy

Legendary leggie Qadir had said ‘Cricket would bring us closer’

Two of a kind: Qadir and Imran were like chalk and cheese, but genius was the common thread.

The icy winter winds brought several layers of woollens out. It was early January and Lahore was bitterly cold.

The year was 2006 and India was touring Pakistan. Ahead of the first Test, we were on a visit to the National Cricket Academy of Pakistan for a glimpse of the country’s emerging cricketers.

Even as we were following a net session, we heard some excited voices that signalled the arrival of someone special.

The man was a cricketing great and brought with him sunshine and warmth even if the temperatures were down.

Yes, Abdul Qadir, still bubbly, buoyant and so full of life, was paying a visit to the NCA.

Then, he walked up, extended an arm and followed it up with a hug. “Welcome to Pakistan,” he said and then insisted that we should have lunch together.

The flexible man with dexterous wrists sent down a few deliveries at the nets too and he could still impart serious revolutions on the ball. You could hear the sound of the ball hissing through the air. No wonder he destroyed line-ups with his drift, dip, two-way spin, and bounce.

Then wading through the bustling streets of Lahore, we travelled to a restaurant of his choice. The food was great but it was Qadir’s innate charm and hospitality that was even more sumptuous. “I loved playing in India. The people were friendly. The bonds between us is strong,” he said. The ambience was one of love, not hate. “People to people contact and cricket would bring us closer,” he said.

Another Pakistan great Majid Khan also invited us to his home for lunch, picked us up and drove us back in his car. What we saw was love, affection and genuine warmth that cut across barriers.