JINNAH, M.A.
Without Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, there would have been no list of Pakistanis and no Pakistan to shape. Jinnah's own development to a point where he demanded a separate Muslim state is symbolic of the gradual disillusionment of hundreds of thousands other Muslim who initially wanted to remain a part of India. And once a decision had been made, the commitment to the cause and the means to achieve the target displayed a strength of character that was found wanting in his successors in politics. He left behind two traditions. The first entailed pursuingthe idea of a secular and just society in Pakistan-- as reflected in his much-quoted inaugural address to the constituent assembly of Pakistan. The second tradition was that of chaos-- which found a tragic manifestation in the circumstances of his death only a year after the creation of Pakistan. Ever since, the two strands have run parallel in the country's history.
Jansher Khan
If Jahangir is dubbed the greatest of all time than jansher can easily earn the tag of being the most complete player in the history. Gifted by a physique perfect for squash and fuelled by the hunger of becoming the world number one even when he was only 10, jansher literally ruled the squash world for over a decade. Wiyh his first world Open triumph in 1987 as a 17-year-old, jansher rose as a successor of the Pakistani squash empire. During his record ten-year reign as the number one player in the world, Jansher rode roughshod over other top players and was involved in a famous rivalry with jahangir that produced some of the greatest squash in history. while Jahangir will be remembered for his domination of the British Open, jansher's name will go with the World Open crown which he won a record eight times. He could have bettered his record but a legal entanglement with his Malaysian ex-wife kept him away from the '97 World open. He then missed the '98 and '99 editions because of knee and groin injuries. But
jansher says he will be back in 2000. its his ambitions to win the world Open ten times and the British Open more than six times (he already has six BO titles) to surpass jahangir's feat. That desire may compel him to resume his career in the next century.
JAHANGIR KHAN
Arguably the most successful squash player off all time, Jahangir Khan's success at the world circuit was phenomenal. His is a fairy tale story. As a child, Jahangir was so weak that his father Roshan thought he could never play squash. Later, as a teenager when Jahangir was struggling as a junior plater, his elder brother TorsamKhan died of a stroke during a match in Australia. That tragedy turned out to be the turning point in Jahangir's life. It was Torsam's most cherished dream that his younger sibling should succeed where he had failed -- become the world champion. Jahangir devoted his life to achieving that goal. Within a few seasons after Torsam's death as the best player in thr world. He went on to win the British Open for a record ten times (surpassing Hashim and Geoff Hunt's records). He won six World Open titles and all the other major events of the World Tour in the eighties and early nineties. However, jahangir's most unique record was his five-and-a-half year unbeaten run when he won over 500 matches at a strech. He could have a achieved even more had a nagging back injury not forced him to retire in 1993. But by that time, he had done enough to get his name installed in the record books amd the hearts of millions of squash fans all over the world.
JAVED MIANDAD
When Javed Miandad left the international arena after that fateful World Cup quarter-final in Bangalore in 1996 against India, pakistani fans witnessed the end of not just a brilliant career but the end of an era. Miandad, born in Karachi, made his Test debut in 1976 against New Zealand with a century (163 in Lahore), following it up with a double century (260 in Karachi) and till his exit, twenty years later, was rarely out of the headlines. His ability left his opponents gasping with disbelief. His prolific run-making made him an automatic selection till the combination of politics and age made his an uncomfortable presence in the dressing room. His aggression and devil-may-care attitude at the crease, forever trying to get one over the bowler, made him a darling of the crowds wherever he batted. He was truely a People's Hero, never one to back down from a challenge. In 1978-79 he scored four Test hundreds (154 not out in Faisalabad and 100 in Karachi against India), 160 not out in Christchhrch and 129 not out in Perth. These centuries formed the backbone of his marvellous Test average and so pugnacious was the that it rsrely dropped below the 40 run mark throughout his controversial, colourful and combative career. He often led pakistan, most memorably in England in 1992 winning the five Test series 2-0 but he will be remembered for infusing in the often laid back Pakistan sides of his time with the belief that they were better than their opponents.
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