Abdul Aziz

Who was Abdul Aziz?

Abdul Aziz was a Pakistani cricketer. A wicket keeper and opening batsman, Abdul Aziz played eight first-class matches for Karachi, before he died after being struck by a ball. He was a student at S. M. College and worked for the Pakistan State Bank.

Whilst batting in the first-innings of the Quaid-e-Azam final against Pakistan Combined Services, Aziz was struck over the heart by a slow off break from Dildwar Awan [sic]. While preparing to receive the next ball, Aziz fell to the ground and never regained consciousness, dying en route to hospital. It is believed the blow aggravated an existing undiagnosed heart condition. A player who does not bat in an innings is recorded in the scorecard as "absent"; in some scorecards, Aziz is recorded as "absent dead" in the second innings.

Aziz's death was the third instance of the death of a cricketer during a first-class cricket match, succeeding those of Maurice Nichol and Charlie Bull in the thirties. George Summers died in 1870 of a head injury sustained in a match, but he died four days after it.

Two of Aziz's brothers also played first-class cricket: Abdul Kadir played one match for North-West Frontier Province; Abdur Rasheed played 28 matches between 1953/54 and 1964/65.