JOIN USDoes pacer Jalal ring a bell?
The name Jalal-ud-Din doesn’t ring a bell, but few know that he was the first bowler to take a hat-trick in ODIs. In an international career that lasted between 1982 and 1985, the right-arm paceman played six Tests claiming 11 wickets and eight ODIs picking 14 wickets. An otherwise unremarkable career is forever etched in record books for his hat-trick against Australia in Hyderabad (in Pakistan) in 1982. He took out Rodney March, Bruce Yardley and Geoff Lawson for to achieve the feat.
The stockily-built Jalal-ud-Din, now 60, is in England following the Pakistan team as a columnist for the Pakistan newspaper Dawn, proudly recalls his achievement. “I only got to play that match as Imran Khan was not fit,” said Jalal-ud-Din. “He pulled out and that’s how I got to play. I got Marsh bowled and then had Yardley caught. I just decided to bowl an inswinger to Lawson who got bowled. I wasn’t even supposed to play the game but ended up taking a hat-trick. That’s called destiny.”
Jalal-ud-Din also toured India in 1983 with Zaheer Abbas’ team but never got to play a Test on the tour. But he has fond memories of the tour. “We made great friends on that tour, we had a lot of camaraderie and the crowd just loved us. We didn’t have great venues for the ODIs, except Bangalore,” he travelled back.
The Karachi-born player said Bangalore was a beautiful city. “I heard it has changed a lot now but when we came there it was the best city we thought. I played one benefit match at Chinnaswamy and if my memory serves me right, it was a benefit match for (EAS) Prasanna. Not sure though.”
Jalal-ud-Din’s parents hailed from Delhi but moved to Pakistan during partition.