ZANZIBAR ITHNASHRI GYMKHANA- 1984- USC Magazine

In Zanzibar where Ithnashri community was the largest in East Africa, cricket was a popular game amongst them. Certain photographs of the past indicate and bear testimony to the fact that cricket was played as far back as the beginning of the twentieth century or even earlier. Personalities such as Haji Remtulla Tejani, Saleh Chagpar, Mulla Raza Nathani and Mohammed Jaffer Nathani (Maalim Miya) figured prominently in the game.

Juma Aley’s ‘write up’ also evidences that in 1933 the Chairman of Zanzibar’s Cricket Sub-Committee was Husain Allarakhia Rahim. We assume that such personalities should have been instrumental in initiating the formation of Ithnashri Gymkhana in Zanzibar. It is very unfortunate that after the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution the past records have been lost to archives and it is difficult to establish the appropriate time of the Gymkhana’s formation and its founder members.

However from 1940 onwards the Gymkhana flourished under the ‘Presidentship’ and Secretariship’ of MD Kermali, Sherali Megji, Noorali Jessa, Anver Hassan Virjee, Ahmed Khalfan, Ibrahim K Manji, Mohamedhusain MD Karmali, Mohamedhusain H Nasser, Gulam Dhalla, Mohamed Kassam, Yusuf Alidina and Ahmed Dungersi. In fact Akber Gulamhusain was the last president of the Gymkhana before its automatic dissolution. Unlike Daressalaam Ithnashri Union the Zanzibar Gymkhana had no affiliation whatsoever with the ‘jamaat’. It was an independent body funded by its own members.

Ithnashries in Zanzibar reigned supreme in cricket. If the 1930s and 1940s provided Ithnashris with a monopoly over the league and the retention of Dr. Albuquerque shield for good in 1942, the 1950s earned them a series of knock out victories and the possession of KJ or Karimji Jivanji trophy in 1963, the last year of Zanzibar’s cricketing history. The ‘Cosmos’ formed Ithnashris toughest competitors in 1940s while in 1950s the healthy rivalry with the Arabs provided a lot of excitement. The sixes of Sherali Megji that earned him the nickname ‘ndege’ still get talked about while the exploits of Gulamali Kabana, Noorali Jessa and Gulamhusain Ismail(Golo) overwhelm Zanzibar’s past inhabitants with emotions.

The other popular sports with Zanzibar Ithnashris were football and volleyball. Ithnashris had their own football team and at a later stage a few of them even played for  ‘Malindi’, one of Zanzibar’s most popular football clubs. The volleyball contests were made up of nine aside, six aside and three aside tournaments, and Ithnashris held a very good record of victories. Babu Gulla, Gulamhusain Ismail and Raza Sherali dominated the 1940s while Babu Rama and Husain Gulamhusain(Chikli) were 1950s key players. Their smashes were unreceivable and were met with clappings from spectators.

After the ‘Revolution’ there was an exodus of the community to the mainland. The islanders joined Daressalaam’s Ithnashri Union. There was no merger or amalgamation of Union and Gymkhana. Interestingly today’s Union team projects mainly the islanders.

 Zanzibar Ithnashri Gymkhana boasted of some of Zanzibar’s finest cricketers whom we briefly feature hereunder.

SHERALI MEGJI

The smashed clock that still gets exhibited at the Zanzibar Museum provides ample evidence of the invincibility of Sherali Megji’s shots. In that particular incident the ball was hit right from the wicket at the first pitch on ‘Mnazimoja’ to the tower clock of Museum across the road.

Sherali was popularly known as Sherali ‘Ndege’. Ndege implied the ball soaring towards the sky. The hardest hitting batsman East Africa has ever produced Sherali was the heartthrob of Zanzibar’s cricket loving public. Activity in the island would come to a halt when Sherali went in to bat. Sherali’s fans closed the shutters of their shops and thronged ‘Mnazimoja’ at the fall of Ithnashris’ fourth wicket. He always batted at number six or seven. As the majestic Sherali would walk in, the fielders desperately retreated towards the boundary line as the occasion awaited sixes. The credibility and validity of this text can be verified with his contemporaries who may come up with some more amusing narrations.

GULAMAL KERMALI(KABANA)

Gulamali Kermali or Kabana as he was popularly known was one of Zanzibar’s great bowlers. He monopolized Zanzibar’s cricket scene in 1930s and 1940s. He was a medium pacer who moved the ball in the air and also bowled ‘off spins’. He used to be the major wicket taker in all the matches that he had played. He won the covetous ‘ball’ award, the most prestigious cricket award in Zanzibar, eleven times which was a record. In 1938 he took 9 wickets for 8 runs against Goans bowling them out for mere twelve runs. In his long career he must have bowled hundreds of overs but hardly got struck for a six of which he is very proud. Incidentally once he split with Ithnashris and joined Comorians. That particular season Comorians emerged Zanzibar’s league champions.

NOORALI JESSA

Noorali’s cricket career started at the tender age of 16 when he played for Ithnashri ‘A’ in Zanzibar’s first division. He was a batsman of proud potential. He captained Ithnashris as well as Zanzibar xi for a number of years. It was under his captaincy that Zanzibar won the Pardhan Ladak shield for the first time in 1951 against a formidable Daressalaam xi. Noorali was essentially a dependable opening bat and executed his strokes, especially his late cuts, with admirable ability. He was a sound wicketkeeper too.

GULAMHUSAIN ISMAIL(GOLO)

Refer under the caption ‘PROFILES’

AKBER GULAMHUSAIN

Once in 1952 in Zanzibar Ithnashri Gymkhana ‘A’ lost to Arabs in a game in which a young lad was discarded from the ‘A’ team and made to play for the ‘B’ team. He took shelter under a tree and wept profusely. Incidentally the same Arabs side lost their next match against Ithnashri ‘B’. They were bowled out cheaply by the same lad who took 8 wickets. What an irony! The lad was Akber Gulamhusain.

Born on 19^th November, 1933 in Zanzibar, Akber played cricket accidentally when in 1949 one of the players was dropped out of ESM, the school side, at the last minute and Akber made to fill the gap. He went on to score 32 runs in that game and never looked back.

Akber remained one of Zanzibar’s top most all rounders representing the Combine Side from 1956 to 1963. He used to open the bowling and had the finest bowling style, a perfect model for cricket aspirants. He captained Ithnashris from 1959 to 1961 and during that period the KJ Cup was won for three consecutive years. Akber’s contribution in a memorable partnership of 140 with Baker Tejani against the strong Arabs team in 1959 was 87 invaluable runs. One of his best bowling performances was recorded against Mombasa Jaffries when he took 7 wickets to dismiss them for mere 40 runs.

One of Akber’s regrettable moments was when Pakistan’s great Hanif Mohamed was dropped twice off his bowling. Akber was also a fine volleyball player and remained Ithnashri Gymkhana’s last President. 

BASHIR NASSER

Born In November,1939 in Zanzibar Bashir shall always be remembered as a boy with golden arms for having bowled the great Hanif. He also bowled another star cricketer, Imtiaz Ahmed, and claimed the wicket of Wallias Mathias. Imagine at that time in 1956 Bashir had bowled almost 50 consecutive overs!

Bashir was a terrific off spinner and overall a great all rounder who used to be the architect of many victories for Ithnashris. His slip fielding was a joy to watch and his batting highly relied upon.

Once Ithnashris scored 119 against the strong ‘Hindus’ who were then bowled out for a meager score of 29 with Bashir claiming the highest number of wickets. When it was the turn of Ithnashris to bat again Bashir opened the innings and struck consecutive boundaries off the first five deliveries. The Hindus’ captain, Gajendra Doshi, could not bear it and uprooted the stumps giving away the game to Ithnashris. Bashir was also a very fine volleyball player.

BAKER TEJANI

Born in 1935 Baker was one of Zanzibar’s top most sportsmen. He was renowned for his cool temperament and sportive mannerism. It was cricket that had given Baker immense popularity. In 1952 he started playing for the Government Secondary School and represented Ithnashris ‘A’ from 1955 to 1963. He used to be their prolific run scorer and gained instant recognition as one of Zanzibar’s finest batsman which earned him a permanent place in Zanzibar’s Combine Side. His highest score was 95 and it was recorded against ‘Arabs’.

Baker also excelled at tennis and started participating in tournaments from 1956 onwards. He was often seeded number one and in 1956 won both the singles and doubles. He still plays tennis but does not participate in tournaments. Baker was also a neat volleyball player who besides representing his school and Ithnashris had also got selected for Zanzibar Combine. Another sports to have earned Baker laurel was badminton. He remained Zanzibar’s champion from 1958 to 1960 and used to win both ‘singles’ and ‘doubles’. Currently Baker is keen on golf.  

The 1942 League Champions.