Maqsood Ahmed was a useful all-rounder in the first ever cricket team of Pakistan. Before the creation of Pakistan, he played for Southern Punjab in India. He was born on 26th March, 1925 in Amritsar, British India.
He got his education from Government Islamia College. He scored a century in his very first match. An aggressive hitter of the ball, Maqsood played a vital role in the recognition of Pakistan as test playing nation when he remained unbeaten on 137 against the visiting MCC.
Maqsood was a hard hitter of the ball and is one of the cricketers who got out on 99 runs. Though a brilliant batsman, his performance in test matches was rather irregular because of his carefree attitude. The English press dubbed him Merry Max.
As a test player he only played 16 matches scoring a total of 507 runs. He was also a right arm medium bowler with 3 wickets in test matches to his credit. His first class record is better with 3815 runs in 85 matches including 6 centuries. He took 124 wickets with 7 for 39 being his best bowling figures.
After retiring from cricket, Maqsood Ahmed worked as a commentator and sports journalist for PTV, BBC and Radio Pakistan. He also served as the Chief National Cricket Coach and coached many stars. Although his playing time ended many decades back, he is still remembered for his talent. He was also one of the selectors of Pakistan Board in 1981-82.
Maqsood Ahmed passed away on 4th January, 1999 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. One of the gates of the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium carries his name “Maqsood Ahmed Enclosure” and one of the benches at the Bagh-e-Jinah Cricket Ground inside the historic Lahore Gymkhana due to his contributions to the Pakistani cricket.
