Sharjah: Qamar Ahmad, one of Pakistan’s renowned journalists, will create history on Thursday during the third Test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He will join John Woodcock of The Times and Richie Benaud, the cricketer-turned-commentator and writer, as the only three who have seen and reported over 400 Test matches.

Speaking to Gulf News about his journey, Ahmad said: “I am delighted that I could pursue my passion for the game as writer and as commentator for 40 years. Many have not survived watching cricket for so long. Normally, cricketers achieve many landmarks and I am happy that I too could report so many Test matches over 40 years.”

For Ahmad, who began reporting from the historic Lord’s cricket ground in 1974, it will be just Test match in Sharjah. “I have never worked for a newspaper as I have always been a freelancer but I am happy I could report for almost all the leading newspapers in the world,” said Ahmad, who has written a regular columns for Gulf News during the Sharjah tournaments in the Eighties.

Born in Mughal Serai in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmad migrated to Pakistan in 1948 and settled in Hyderabad of Sindh province in Pakistan. He captain Hyderabad in first class cricket before taking up a career as a journalist in England.

Seventy-five-year-old Ahmad has witnessed some of the greatest moments in cricket. Apart from the Test matches, he also reported on 732 One-Day Internatonals and first of the eight World Cups. When Ahmad reported his 300th Test match, the South African Cricket Board chief Ali Bacher honoured him before the Test match between South Africa and Pakistan at Cape Town in 2002.

Ahmad was also a commentator for BBC (Urdu, Hindi & English) & BBC Five Live Extra, ABC (Aus), SABC (Radio and TV South Africa), TVNZ (Television New Zealand World Cup 1992), ESPN, Ten Sports, Radio Pakistan, All India Radio, Caribbean Broadcasting Corp and Hum FM 106.2 (Pakistan).

Asked about the greatest knock and bowling performance that he had witnessed, Ahmad said: “It was Gavaskar’s 96 in the 1987 Bangalore Test on a treacherous wicket against Pakistan. The vote for best bowling was Bob Massie’s 16 wickets in the Ashes Test at the Lord’s and Michael Holding’s 14 wickets at The Oval in 1976 versus England.”

Ahamd was also present when Richard Hadlee become the first bowler to reach 400 Test wickets and Anil Kumble’s 10 wickets spell in an innings.

“I have reported six triple centuries in Tests,” said Ahmad, who has reported 1000th Test in cricket history between Pakistan and New Zealand in 1984 at Hyderabad in Pakistan and also the 2000th Test between England and India at Lord’s in 2011.