Prof Ejaz Farooqui crowned as Super Chairman

In recognition of his momentous services to the game of cricket, the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) proudly declared Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, Chairman Zone II, as the Super Chairman.

Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari, Honorary Secretary, KCCA, minced no words in stating that Prof Ejaz Farooqui has turned out to be the standout chairman as far as the seven zones of the Association were concerned.

Speaking in the reception held in the honour of Prof Ejaz Farooqui on his recent election as the Vice President of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Prof Siraj Bokhari recognized the most significant contribution towards the cause of cricket at the grassroots level made by the KCCA Zone II during the past three years.

“It’s very gladdening to note that the KCCA Zone II has been the hub of cricket activities in the city eversince Prof Ejaz Farooqui was elected as their chairman. His outstanding leadership skills have brought about a distinct change and there have been more tournaments in their zone than anywhere else,” the KCCA Secretary noted.

The founder of Urdu cricket commentary and a former President of the KCCA, Munir Hussain, also paid glowing tributes to Prof Ejaz Farooqui, describing him as the man of the moment.

He acknowledged that the club cricket, having remained alive in Karachi over the years, has graduated to another level with the proactive approach of devoted personalities like Prof Ejaz Farooqui.

Munir Hussain backed Prof Ejaz Farooqui for the post of the Vice President of the KCCA urging its council to incorporate the necessary changes in their constitution to get him on board without wasting any more time.

The other speakers who showered Prof Ejaz Farooqui with praise in the reception held at the KDA Officers Club on January 12 were Mahboob Shah, a former international umpire who stood in the final of the 1987 World Cup, Senator Prof Saeed Siddiqui, Chairman, Sindh Board of Technical Education, and Mohammad Ahmed Shah, Honorary Secretary, Arts Council of Pakistan.

It was only three years ago when Prof Ejaz Farooqui had been elected as the Chairman of the Zone II of the KCCA in the elections held under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

He has been chiefly responsible for bringing the Zone II to life during the last three years.

What he has done for the zone in particular and for the cause of cricket in general is truly exemplary. He has led the zone admirably and his great personal interest in promoting the game has brought about a revolution of sorts at the club level.

He had had a vision to carry out development work in every nook and corner of the zone. He has been concentrating for creating more facilities in Surjani Town and Khuda Ki Basti.

The good work carried out by the zone during the past three years has been yielding results and they continue to be motivated by their chairman who urges the need to work with greater zeal to accomplish more success.(skmsports.com)

Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqi expressed his profound grief on the sudden demise of Mehdi Hasan

Veteran cricket manager and treasurer of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Mehdi Hasan, died here in the early hours of Sunday after a sudden cardiac arrest.

Mehdi, 63, remained attached with the KCCA for nearly 30 years in various capacities. He left behind his wife, three daughters and a son besides dozens of KCCA officials to mourn his death.

“His death is a great shock and grief for the entire Karachi cricket fraternity,” KCCA president Sirajul Islam Bukhari said.

“He [Mehdi] was my closest associate for over more than 25 years and was a dedicated worker of the KCCA,” he added.

Bukhari complimented his services for the Karachi teams and recalled that he was the manager of Karachi side that won the Pentangular Cup in 2008.

KCCA secretary Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqi also expressed his profound grief on the sudden demise of Mehdi.

“His services for cricket will be remembered for a long, long time,” he said.

Prof Ejaz Farooqui desires to take Karachi cricket to next level

The elections of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) are generally regarded as an exercise of legitimizing old wines into new bottles. But there’s a big difference this time round.

While there was not much to comment on the election of Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari as the President or the re-election of Mehdi Hasan as Treasurer but the news making the headline was the election of Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui as Secretary.

Prof Ejaz Farooqui is one man, known for bringing about a change. His presence in the central leadership could lead a turnaround in the fortunes of the KCCA. He has been blessed with so many outstanding qualities that make him counted as one of the leading personalities of the country.

He has a huge responsibility now on his shoulders and not surprisingly he is as confident as ever, displaying enormous self-belief that should serve as an inspiration to his teammates in the KCCA. He has pledged to take the Karachi cricket to another level by strategizing the goals. Not many people would disagree that he does have the capability of doing it.

Having who blanked his rival Shah Riazuddin 21-0 for the post of the Secretary in the KCCA elections held on May 22, Prof Ejaz Farooqui agreed that a lot was needed to be done to promote cricket from the grassroots level in the city.

“Yes there are lot of new challenges to be met but being a firm believer of making the most of the available resources I don’t foresee problems in accomplishing the goals and promoting cricket in every nook and corner of our metropolis,” he observed in an interview after having been elected as the KCCA Secretary.

“The Zone II experience would obviously come handy. I was elected the zonal chairman during the previous KCCA elections in 2006. With the untiring support of our team we were able to rewrite the history of the zone by organizing 25 accredited tournaments in which more than 650 matches were held. From Karimabad to Surjani Town, Khuda Ki Basti and Taisar Town we succeeded in engaging our cricketers throughout the year,” Prof Farooqui remarked.

“I have gained first-hand experience of the problems being faced at the club level by interacting with the cricketers as well as the organizers on a regularly basis and we were able to overcome many of the obstacles if not all during my three and half year tenure as the zonal chairman,” he pointed out.

He agreed that he may have not have as smooth sailing being the KCCA Secretary as he had while being the KCCA Zone II Chairman.

“Yes the challenges are going to be different but the basics remain the same. If one has the will power to take on the problems and tackle them accordingly no problem could be considered too big. I will take on board all the stake-holders to take the Karachi cricket to another level,” the KCCA Secretary concluded. (skmsports.com)