A Conversation with Nauman Niaz

Martin Chandler | 1:04pm BST 06 August 2023

Through the years some exceptional collections of cricket memorabilia have been put collectively. Sadly for we mere mortals these are usually in non-public fingers, so we don’t get to see them. There are museums after all, that at Lord’s being one I’ve been to on a few events however, my essential curiosity being the literature of the sport, these journeys haven’t been totally fulfilling.

David Frith had a surprising assortment of all varieties of memorabilia, together with books, pamphlets and the opposite printed ephemera that fascinate me a lot. That assortment is being damaged up as I sort this function, the primary tranche of it having gone beneath the hammer in March this 12 months. However at the very least I’ll at all times have my copy of that weightiest of tomes, The David Frith Archive, so while I’ll by no means scent, see or contact the Frith assortment I can at the very least marvel on the breadth of its protection of cricket historical past and movie it in my thoughts’s eye.

Just one different assortment has been the topic of the same challenge (paradoxically sufficient by the identical writer) and that’s the topic of the 2 quantity Collector’s Eye, printed in 2021. That assortment continues to be rising and, given it’s situated in Islamabad, it’s simply as nicely that it’s illustrated so extensively in Collector’s Eye. So as to add to my pleasure on that topic the gathering’s lucky proprietor, Nauman Niaz, is type sufficient to ship me occasional updates with reference to his newest acquisitions.

Earlier generations have had their exceptional collections as nicely. Pat Mullins and Tony Baer assembled them within the latter years of the 20th century, and earlier than them there have been the likes of Joe Goldman and Sir Julien Cahn and, for anybody , there may be some proof obtainable of the objects all of them owned. Certainly within the case of Mullins and Baer their collections now repose on the Melbourne Cricket Floor, so can be found for public viewing.

However not one of the collections I’ve talked about have been assembled in the identical method as Nauman’s. The person is a real polymath, as is inevitably going to be the case with a person who has bought thus far in life in so many various fields of human endeavour. Cricket could also be his old flame, and all in all he tells me that cricketing objects make up round half of his private museum, however there are various different exceptional objects in there.

So what else does Nauman gather? It must be talked about briefly if solely to present an thought of the vary of his pursuits. Thus the very first ‘displays’ in Collector’s Eye are a choice of signed images. You would possibly count on to see the likes of WG Grace, Fuller Pilch, Ranjitsinhji and John Wisden, however in reality these featured are Adolf Hitler, Erwin Rommel, Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, King George VI and Diego Maradona. A measure of simply how spectacular Nauman’s museum is is the look of awe within the facial expressions of the boys on this {photograph}. Ordinarily none of Ian Chappell, Vivian Richards or Rashid Latif are, I might think about, simply impressed and, exhibiting them spherical, even Nauman’s face betrays a way of surprise at what he has been in a position to put collectively.

So now you’ve an thought of the kind of man I’m coping with, and the problem of the duty of confining oneself to only a few questions. However the benefit of the web is that we are able to have as many instalments of this dialog as Nauman is ready to indulge me for, so right here’s the primary set of questions and Nauman’s responses;

At what age did you begin accumulating and what was the primary space of curiosity attracted your consideration?

From a really younger age I used to be into preserving something that belonged to me, in contrast to different contemporaries or youngsters, I cleaned my toy vehicles and stored them in particular pouches. I additionally preserved my quarterly report playing cards at college, even the sharpened pencils. I don’t know whether or not it was hoarding or sense of possession or a software of protecting the reminiscences alive. 

I used to be seven years previous after I first noticed dwell cricket, the primary Take a look at between Pakistan and New Zealand held at Lahore’s Gadaffi Stadium. Javed Miandad made his debut and posted an impregnable 163. I had a match brochure in my hand which I bought signed not solely by Javed however your entire Pakistan crew and in addition all of the New Zealand gamers. 

It was at round this age that my maternal uncle, himself a Ranji Trophy participant and a First Class cricketer, Khawaja Rauf Zakria Kitchlew, offered me with two books. One was a primary version of the Jubilee Guide of Cricket by Shri Kumar Ranjitsinhji that was printed in 1897, and the opposite an impeccable copy of Imperial Cricket by Sir Pelham Warner that was printed in 1912. I stored them close to my pillow and hardly slept that night time. 

My mom, who had been an everyday as a spectator to virtually all of the matches performed at Lahore’s Bagh-i-Jinnah, gifted me her autograph ebook which contained autographs of the 1951 MCC crew that toured Pakistan. It was additionally signed by the Pakistan crew which travelled to India for his or her inaugural Take a look at collection in 1952-53, the India crew that arrived in Pakistan in 1954-55, and the New Zealanders who got here to Pakistan in 1955. 

Even these gems weren’t the whole thing of the treasure trove, which continued with the signatures of the MCC ‘A’ crew led by Donald Carr in 1955-56, the Australians who visited in Pakistan 1956, the West Indians who got here in 1958-59 and the 1959-60 Australians. After that I started accumulating the autographs of all First Class cricketers, and having images signed on match brochures and magazines. I used to be twelve years previous when it began. There was no wanting again. So I had begun as an autograph collector, and the books adopted, these I started buying by the point I used to be 13 years previous. 

Did the remainder of your loved ones encourage you, or did they only allow you to get on with it? 

Pampered and cherished unconditionally I used to be inspired by my household who totally endorsed my ardour. My father incentivized all of it. If I bought A grades at college, I used to be gifted a handful of cricket books and so forth. As defined, even my maternal and paternal uncles spurred me on. 

We’ve got already established your accumulating tastes are an eclectic combine, however I’m a cricket lover so inform me what your essential curiosity is, and has that modified over time? 

You’re proper that my tastes as a collector are an eclectic combine, nevertheless I’m deeply into pre-war and the Edwardian age memorabilia primarily the signed postcards, the autograph sheets, and uncommon handkerchiefs. Sure, over time it has modified and the alternatives have remodeled. I now hunt down first editions of the rarest books, ideally inscribed or signed, and prints from the likes of JC Anderson, George Beldam, Chevallier Tayler in addition to match used bats and different tools, even stumps. 

And now I’m going to interrupt some unhealthy information Nauman – any second your museum is about to fall sufferer to a pure catastrophe – do you keep together with your treasures and face no matter is coming or flee with what you possibly can carry? 

I’ll stick with my treasures and face no matter is coming. 

I used to be very assured that may be your response, and I wish to suppose I might do the identical. So let’s faux, only for a second, that you simply resolve on flight. I’m going to will let you take ten objects with you. What are they going to be?

That may be a merciless query, however within the spirit during which you ask it I’ll reply. I believe I might attempt to protect the next:- 

Felix On The Bat inscribed and hand-signed by the writer (1845)Presentation Copy of WG Grace’s Cricket printed in 1891 (one of many ten printed)Hand-signed Lillywhite’s Scores & Biographies Quantity I & II (hand-signed by Fred Lillywhite) in 1862. Victor Trumper’s match performed bat from 1899 (Lord’s Take a look at)Sir Donald Bradman’s match performed batAustralia to England in 1909, giant unique hand-signed {photograph} MCC to England 1907-1908 hand-signed crew {photograph} Match used bat of W.G. Grace 1905Match used bat of Shri Kumar Ranjitsinhji 1896The unique ball used within the 1902 Take a look at between Australia and England the place Gilbert Jessop walloped a match successful century. 

Which does embody three books, however as a bibliophile that’s my essential space of curiosity, so I made a decision to dwell on the purpose and requested Nauman to inform me about some extra of his books. I gave him a large temporary, however careworn that I needed him to incorporate not solely his treasures, such because the three books he had already talked about, but in addition his favorite reads. Ultimately he got here up with fifteen extra titles. They’re an fascinating choice, and in no explicit order are:-

Kings of Cricket by Richard Daft (1893)

This can be a ebook I’ve written about earlier than, right here, so won’t go into element once more. Nauman’s is quantity six of the subscriber’s version.

The Cricket Area by James Pycroft (1922)

One of many early books on the sport the primary version of Pycroft appeared in 1851. Between then and 1887 the ebook ran by eight extra UK editions in addition to one within the US. A remaining version, edited by Ashley-Cooper was printed in 1922. It could appear shocking that Nauman’s copy is of the final slightly than the primary version, however then solely the 1922 model appeared in a particular restricted version. Nauman’s copy is quantity 60 of the 100 printed

Past a Boundary by CLR James (1963)

The best cricket ebook ever printed? There have definitely been a lot who’ve made that declare and it’s a ebook that Stuart Wark reviewed right here, and I subsequently wrote about right here. I dare say that it’s the well-known essay on WG that pulls Nauman as a lot as something, and he has a really particular copy. It’s a first version after all, fascinating sufficient in itself, however this one is inscribed from James to G Neville Weston, a famous collector and nice skilled on WG.

Scores of Matches 1786-1822 by Henry Bentley (1823)

One of many first books printed on the sport Bentley is nothing greater than a set of scorecards, and rudimentary ones at that. It’s nonetheless probably the most wanted objects of cricket literature significantly, as Nauman after all has, a replica with the 2 dietary supplements for 1823 and 1824/25 current. For we mortals nevertheless there’s a most engaging facsimile that was printed by Roger Heavens in 1997, and which has the additional advantage of a scholarly introduction by David Rayvern Allen.

A Few Brief Runs by Lord Harris (1921)

The autocratic Harris is finest referred to as an administrator, however he was additionally a advantageous participant who led England in 4 Checks in opposition to Australia and that is his autobiography. 

An Australian Cricketer on Tour by Frank Laver (1905)

Earlier than the format for tour books grew to become set in stone Australian all-rounder Frank Laver wrote this wonderful account of his journeys to England with the 1899 and 1905 Australians.

With Stoddart’s Crew in Australia by KS Ranjitsinhji (1898)

Thanks largely to Ranji’s 175 England received the primary Take a look at of the 1897/98 Ashes collection however, sadly, regardless of the good man ending the collection with a mean of fifty England misplaced the opposite 4 Checks. After returning dwelling Ranji produced this traditional account of the journey.

Stray Ideas on Indian Cricket by J Framjee Patel (1905)

This was the primary ebook printed that regarded on the historical past of cricket in India within the spherical. Just a few earlier books had been written, however they targeting the sport amongst the Parsi neighborhood. Patel’s ebook is on the market to all as a reprint. Nauman’s copy nevertheless is, after all, a primary version.

With the MCC in Australia by Philip Trevor (1908)

This ebook is the one account of the 1907/08 Ashes collection. It was printed on poor high quality paper and few copies survive. Nauman’s is after all an unique, however due to UK seller/writer JW McKenzie a contemporary facsimile is on the market.

Memento of Arthur Shrewsbury and Alfred Shaw Cricketers by WF Grundy (1907)

A modest 93 web page ebook this one pays tribute to 2 of the best English skilled gamers of the ‘Golden Age’ being the Nottinghamshire pair of Shaw and Shrewsbury. The previous, a formidable bowler, had died simply earlier than publication and Shrewsbury, a advantageous batsman, had taken his personal life 4 years beforehand.

‘WG’ by WG Grace (1899)

This was the good man’s autobiography, a cumbersome 524 pages ghost written by Arthur Porritt. Nauman’s copy has a most exceptional survivor for an 1899 ebook, its unique mud jacket.

10 for 66 and all that by Arthur Mailey (1958)

Nicely acquired on publication in 1958 the popularity of this entertaining memoir from Australian leg spinner Arthur Mailey has, unusually, grown over time. 

Lambert’s Cricketer’s Information by William Lambert (1816)

Books of this age are both poems, collections of scores or tutorial, and Lambert falls into the latter class. It appeared in at the very least 13 editions, together with what was described as a twentieth, though no copies between 13 and 19 have been recorded. All incarnations of the ebook are, unsurprisingly, exceptionally uncommon. Nauman’s copy is one among his more moderen acquisitions, and a second version.

Curiosities of First Class Cricket by FS Ashley-Cooper (1901)

A lot of Ashley-Cooper’s publications are tough to amass, typically showing in brief runs of only a few copies. Curiosities of First Class Cricket, as its title suggests, is an entertaining assortment of the weird and weird tales concerning the recreation that Ashley-Cooper tracked down in his intensive analysis into the historical past of cricket, and is among the simpler of his titles to supply. That stated there was a restricted version of 100 signed, numbered and specifically sure copies, of which Nauman’s is one

Alfred Lyttelton: His House Coaching and Earlier Life by Edward Lyttelton (1916) 

Alfred Lyttelton was a double worldwide, representing England at cricket and soccer, and is finest identified for taking off his wicketkeeping equipment in 1884 and taking 4 Australian wickets in fast succession together with his underarm lobs. A profession politician in 1917 Lyttelton’s sister, Edith, wrote a full biography. This one, a lot slimmer and far rarer, was written by brother Edward, additionally a soccer worldwide, a First Class cricketer and for his day job very long time headmaster at Eton School. The worth of Nauman’s copy of the ebook is drastically enhanced by being accompanied by a prolonged letter from the writer to a member of the Hunter Blair household.

Which I believe concludes how a lot I can pester Nauman about his assortment at this stage, however relaxation assured that I’ll do my finest to get him again for an additional session within the close to future.

However lastly, having whetted the urge for food of all who’re studying this, to be occurring with listed below are only a few pictures of Nauman’s museum.