Almanac Cricket History – 1956: First Pakistan v Australia Test Match: history repeating itself or sheer coincidence?

 

Among its many other qualities, the Almanac is known for its capacity to find quirky, potentially significant but possibly totally unfounded historical linkages. The date 17th October provides one of these.

 

Australia played its first ever Test match against Pakistan in Karachi between 11-17 October 1956. It was a one-off affair as the Australians returned from the 1956 Ashes series in England.

 

Played on a matting pitch, it was a low scoring affair in conditions most unfamiliar to the Aussies who never really came to terms with the pitch or the bowling of the Pakistan wizards Fazal Mahmoud and Khan Mohammad. You can find a link to the scoreboard HERE.

 

You could say that the Australians found the conditions and the opposition bowling torturous!

 

Little wonder, then, that October 17 was also the date in 1483 when Tomás de Torquemada was appointed Grand Inquisitor to the Spanish Inquisition by Pope Sixtus IV.

 

Draw your own conclusions –

 

or not!

 

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

 

Comments

  1. Obtuse!

    It was on this day, in 1968, that Tommie Smith and John Carlos were stripped of their gold and bronze medals respectively following their “black power” salutes at the Mexico City Olympics.

Leave a Comment

*