Sultan Zarawani
Personal information
Full name
Sultan Mohammed Zarawani
Born (1961-01-24) 24 January 1961
Dubai
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm leg spin
International information
National side
  • UAE (1994–1996)
ODI debut (cap 11)13 April 1994 v India
Last ODI1 March 1996 v Netherlands
Career statistics
Competition ODI List A
Matches 7 11
Runs scored 26 53
Batting average 4.33 7.57
100s/50s 0/0 0/0
Top score 13 20*
Balls bowled 264 312
Wickets 5 5
Bowling average 51.40 62.00
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 2/49 2/49
Catches/stumpings 1/– 1/–
Source: Cricinfo, 10 December 2009

Sultan Mohammed Zarawani (Arabic: سلطان محمد زاروني; born 24 January 1961) is a former Emirati cricketer. He played seven one-day internationals (ODIs). After the 1996 Cricket World Cup, he was banned for life when he criticised the officials of the Emirates Cricket Board. Zarawani had learnt the basics of the sport while studying at his school in Pakistan.

International career

In the early 1990s, when the Emirates Cricket Board adopted a policy of recruiting expatriate cricketers from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka for the national side, Zarawani, the sole native Emirati in the team, was appointed as captain.

Under his leadership, the UAE won the 1994 ICC Trophy in Kenya which earned them qualification for the 1996 Cricket World Cup. He also captained the UAE in their first-ever One Day International match which was played against India.[1] Although his team was defeated, Zarawani did manage to capture one wicket – that of Sachin Tendulkar.

He is best known for facing South African fast bowler Allan Donald wearing a sunhat rather than a helmet at the 1996 Cricket World Cup and being hit by a fierce bouncer.[2][3] Sultan had come to bat when UAE was reeling at 68/6 in a huge run chase of 322.[4][5]

Donald recorded in his autobiography that he feared initially that he had killed him. Despite the blow, Zarawani continued to refuse the offer of a helmet but only lasted six more balls before he was dismissed and taken straight to hospital.[6] Prior to playing in his first World Cup tournament in 1996, he had received three operations on his knees and also underwent regular cortisone injections in order to enable him to play through the pain.[5] He also spent 24 hours in bed before every match to make himself fit to play. He led at the age of 35. Despite the blow on his head in UAE's opening match against South Africa, he continued to play in the remainder of the tournament and also went onto lead the side throughout the global showpiece.[7] Under his leadership, UAE finished the tournament on a high note by securing a victory over fellow qualifier Netherlands and it also eventually marked the last international appearance for Zarawani in international cricket.[8][7]

The only locally produced player on the 1996 side, Zarawani was purportedly held in very high esteem by his teammates, of whom there were allegedly fewer than the pricey motor cars in his possession.[6]

He left the international game with ODI batting and bowling averages of 4.33 and 51 respectively. "Swap the figures round, as they say, and you'd have one hell of an allrounder," mused Lawrence Booth.[6]

Legacy

The iconic moment which was created when Sultan Zarawani faced a rampant Allan Donald has also been included in the ‘'Second XI: Cricket in its Outposts'’, a book which talks about the evolution of associate cricket. The book also illustrate why he went onto face Allan Donald with a sunhat on his head instead of a helmet and Zarawani himself recalled the incident and shared his experiences on the book.[9][10]

References

  1. ↑ "1st Match, Pepsi Austral-Asia Cup at Sharjah, Apr 13 1994 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Head and face injuries in cricket – Part 2 of 3". Cricket Country. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Bruised but not shaken". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "World Cup 1996: Allan Donald hits Sultan Zarawani on the head after Gary Kirsten's record". Cricket Country. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  5. 1 2 "SA vs UAE: Rewind to Gary Kirsten, Sultan Zarawani and Allan Donald". The Indian Express. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Booth 2009.
  7. 1 2 "World Cup Countdown: 1996 – In battle of minnows, UAE register maiden ODI victory". Cricket Country. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "World Cup 1996: UAE register maiden ODI victory". Cricket Country. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  9. ↑ "The tale of the have-nots". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  10. ↑ "Book excerpt: Zarawani and the decision to face Donald without a helmet". Firstpost. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
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