The Passing of ‘Q’: Cricket Mourns Broadcast and Journalism Legend Qamar Ahmed

The cricket world is mourning the loss of one of its finest storytellers. Qamar Ahmed, the legendary Pakistani cricket journalist, broadcaster, and former first-class cricketer, has passed away in Karachi at the age of 88. Affectionately known simply as "Q" across the global press boxes, Ahmed was a towering figure in sports media. His career spanned over five decades, during which he served as a vital bridge between the golden eras of the sport and the modern game.A Front-Row Seat to Cricket HistoryFew individuals have witnessed the evolution of cricket quite like Qamar Ahmed. After shifting his focus from playing to writing in the 1960s, he went on to cover over 400 Test matches, hundreds of One-Day Internationals, and every single ICC World Cup from 1975 until 2007. When the limited-overs game began dominating the calendar, "Q" famously dubbed it "pyjama cricket," eventually choosing to focus his later years entirely on the pure tactility of Test matches. His 400th Test milestone came in January 2014 during a Pakistan-Sri Lanka clash in Sharjah—a feat achieved by only a handful of journalists in history. Through his work for major international outlets including Reuters, AFP, the BBC, The Guardian, and Dawn, Ahmed was a direct eyewitness to some of the greatest milestones the game has ever seen:Sunil Gavaskar’s 10,000th Test run in Ahmedabad (1987)Sir Richard Hadlee’s 400th Test wicket (1990)Anil Kumble’s historic 10-wicket haul against Pakistan at Delhi (1999)Cricket’s milestone matches, being present for both the 1,000th and 2,000th Test matches in history.Embedded in the Fabric of Pakistan CricketFor Pakistani cricket, Ahmed wasn't just a reporter; he was an institutional memory bank. He was in the hotel rooms during the seismic 1976–77 player pay dispute that paved the way for professionalizing the country's cricketers. He broadcasted Pakistan’s legendary 1992 World Cup triumph for TVNZ, and he was on the ground during the infamous 1992–93 tour of the West Indies, where key players were briefly detained in a marijuana controversy—an ordeal he later chronicled in his book Testing Times. He was also present during the harrowing 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, reporting with steady professionalism during one of the sport's darkest hours.Beyond the hard news, "Q" was the ultimate locker-room insider in an era before rigid PR teams and media managers. His London home was an essential pitstop for touring teams. Superstars like Imran Khan and Javed Miandad were regular guests, treated not just to sharp cricket minds but also to Ahmed’s legendary culinary skills and generous hospitality.From Left-Arm Spinner to Master RaconteurLong before he held a microphone or a notepad, Ahmed was a highly promising left-arm orthodox spinner. He played 17 first-class matches through the mid-1950s and early 1960s for Sind and Hyderabad. He held the incredibly rare domestic distinction of dismissing three of the famous Mohammad brothers—Hanif, Sadiq, and Mushtaq—on their respective first-class debuts. One of his absolute favorite anecdotes to share in the press box was that he once dismissed the great Hanif Mohammad right before Hanif went on to score his world-record 499. The punchline, as "Q" always delivered with a smile, was that Hanif had already smashed 129 runs before holing out to long-on. His deep love for the physical act of playing never left him; he regularly turned his arm over in media matches well into the 2000s and later served as an umpire.A Rich LegacyAhmed was a prolific author, writing the autobiographies of legends Hanif Mohammad and Waqar Hasan, alongside his own definitive memoir in 2020, Far More Than a Game. Even as health challenges slowed his travel in his final years, his presence remained vibrant. Just last October, he was honored with a warm birthday toast at the UK's Cricket Media Club, of which he was a long-time member.With his passing, cricket loses more than just a journalist. It loses a magnificent raconteur, a sharp literary voice, and an irreplaceable link to a romantic era of sports journalism where players and writers shared meals, stories, and a mutual life dedicated to the boundary ropes.