High Commissioner Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri recalls former Australian PM John Howard’s visit to Pakistan

Newswire

Canberra: Pakistani High Commissioner to Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri this week recalled former Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s visit to Pakistan and his love for cricket.

“Glad to share picture of Australian Prime Minister John Howard playing Cricket during his visit to Pakistan in 2005. PM Howard also visited the earthquake struck Azad Jammu&Kashmir,” he posted on X.

John Howard was credited with bowling arguably the worst-ever balls in the name of cricket during that trip. While visiting an earthquake ravaged Pakistan in 2005, Australian military personnel invited the then Prime Minister to join in a game of cricket with local children.

What happened next is probably one of the most replayed balls in cricket history. Howard bowled three balls with none making it to the batsman and bouncing several times.

In 2015, while speaking at King’s College, Howard explained that it was difficult to bowl. “They had a ball that was basically the inside of a tennis ball with some white tape around it,’’ he said at the time.

“And of course I had a go and it stuck in my hand … and of course it played for ever and a day afterwards.”