Ismail Ibrahim

Ismail Ibrahim (4 August 1932 – 15 June 2020) was a Pakistani cricketer.^[1] He played in eight first-class matches for Karachi from 1954/55 to 1957/58.^[2]

Ismail Ibrahim

Personal information
Born	(1932-08-04)4 August 1932 Mangrol, Gujarat, India
Died	15 June 2020(2020-06-15) (aged 87) Scunthorpe, England
Source: Cricinfo, 17 April 2021

Early life and education

Ibrahim was born in Mangrol, a coastal town in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, into a Gujarati-speaking family involved in farming and fruit trade.^[3] During his school years at Madrassah High School and Jehangir Boarding House, where he studied with his older brother Hasan, Ibrahim played cricket and hockey and was selected for a local squad by Nawab Dilwar Khan.^[3]

After the 1947 partition, Ibrahim traveled by sea to Karachi while awaiting his matriculation results and enrolled in a typing and shorthand course.^[3] His proficiency in English led to his employment with Sher Mohammad Ali & Sons, a surgical tools wholesaler.^[3]

Career

In 1951, after a brief hiatus from cricket, he was invited by Prince Aslam to join the Kathiawar Gymkhana and later played for Pak Ahmedabad under M.S. Baloch; his performance was noted by teammates including Mohammad Farooq.^[3]

Ibrahim's club performances resulted in his selection by the Karachi Cricket Association in 1954.^[3] He made his first-class debut in the 1954–55 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy semi-final and was selected for the 1955 Pakistan Eaglets tour of the United Kingdom, a developmental initiative.^[3]

After returning to Pakistan, Ibrahim played in domestic cricket for teams including Karachi Blues and Karachi C. He scored runs and took wickets, with a career-best bowling figure of 5 for 54 recorded in one match.^[3]

In 1958, Ibrahim moved to Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, in the United Kingdom to pursue career.^[3] He represented Appleby-Frodingham Works for four summers, serving as an opening bowler and batsman. In club cricket, he recorded a five-wicket haul against Scunthorpe Town and scored a rapid century against English Steel.^[3]