Abdul Latif (cricketer)
Mohammad Abdul Latif | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 10, 1939 Kamptee, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation(s) | Cricketer, military officer, cricket official |
| Years active | 1956–1971 (cricket) |
| Known for | First-class cricket for East Pakistan; Bangladesh armed forces officer; Bangladesh Cricket Board official |
Mohammad Abdul Latif (born 10 November 1939 in Kamptee, Maharashtra, India), also referred to as Mohammad Abdul Latif Khan and M.A. Latif, is a former first-class cricket player who represented East Pakistan, a retired senior officer of the Bangladesh armed forces, and a cricket official.
Playing career
Abdul Latif, known as a middle-order batsman and leg-spin bowler, made his first appearance for East Pakistan Greens during the 1956–57 season. Across his initial five matches spanning four seasons, he accumulated just 66 runs and secured two wickets.
In the 1961–62 season, while captaining East Pakistan in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he scored 109 and 49 runs and claimed bowling figures of 3 for 49 and 3 for 112, guiding East Pakistan to its inaugural first-class triumph. That same season, he featured for a Combined XI against the visiting MCC and was the only local cricketer selected for the East Pakistan Governor's XI to face an International XI, although his impact was minimal.
During the 1963–64 season, Latif was the highest scorer with 81 runs for a President's XI against the Commonwealth XI. As captain of Dacca in the Ayub Trophy during 1964–65, he recorded an unbeaten 155 in a victory over Rajshahi.
On the 1966–67 Ceylon tour of Pakistan, he played for a President's XI, contributing an unbeaten 42 to help secure a draw. He also represented Pakistan in Dacca against Ceylon, scoring 21 runs without bowling; once again he was the sole player from East Pakistan. Later that season, he made an impressive 74 for a President's XI versus the MCC Under-25 team, noted for his "exciting strokes".
Subsequently, Abdul Latif concentrated on domestic competitions. In January 1968, while leading East Pakistan Greens in the Ayub Trophy, he delivered remarkable bowling performances: taking 7 for 19 and 5 for 40 against Dacca University, followed shortly by figures of 7 for 19 and 5 for 19 (alongside scoring 50 runs) against East Pakistan Railways. His combined tally of 24 wickets for just 97 runs included dismissing batsmen bowled on eighteen occasions. Nevertheless, in the semi-final match, he secured only one wicket as his team suffered an innings defeat.
During the 1969–70 campaign, he scored 143 and 42 runs and took two wickets to help East Pakistan defeat Hyderabad Whites. After participating in two matches during the 1970–71 season, he concluded his first-class playing career.
Later career
Following military training at the Pakistan Military Academy, Abdul Latif served in Bangladesh’s armed forces after its independence in 1971, ultimately achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel.
He acted as manager for the Bangladesh cricket team's tours to Australia and Pakistan in 2003, as well as to England and Sri Lanka in 2005. Between 2007 and 2008, he chaired the development committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and held the position of vice-president within the organization.
In the decade of the 2010s, Latif served as sports secretary for the Bangladesh National Party. Additionally, he has officiated internationally as a boxing referee.