FIRST GOAN TEST CRICKETER
Wallis Mathis and Mary Fernandes on their wedding in Karachi on October 17, 1960.
The Pakistan cricket team of the 1950s had some of the great fast bowlers of that time but unfortunately not many good fielders, especially in the slips cordon. Many catches that came off the bowling of the seamers went past the slip fielders or catches were dropped. The team desperately needed a safe and dependable pair of hands.
Commenting in Khadim H. Baloch’s book, “The Gentleman Cricketer”, Col. Shujauddin Butt (1930-2006), former Test player and manager of Pakistan squads, says, “Kardar was a shrewd captain. He put all his faith into the three medium pacers, Fazal Mahmood, Khan Mohammad, and Mehmood Hussain, as his match strategy evolved around them. Had we held our catches in the slips, we would have won more matches. Alimuddin, Wazir, Zulfikar, Maqsood, and I all dropped more than we held. From this point of view, Kardar finding Wallis was like discovering a gem. Wallis became a major piece of the chessboard that Kardar was trying to build to perfection.”
Wallis Mathias was a successful slip fielder in the domestic season, and it was not long before skipper Abdul Hafeez Kardar (1925-1996) spotted the prolific catcher and summoned him to don the Test cap. In the 21 Tests he played for Pakistan, Wallis proved to be the best, not just in Pakistan but was adjudged by the Test greats of that time to be among the ‘best in the world’. It was a joy and amazement to watch Wallis snap up catches in the slips in the flash of an eye, diving or jumping overhead to catch the ball.
Several cricket notations reveal that he was a gifted slip fielder with exceptional reflexes and the safest pair of hands. The 1995 copy of Wisden (pg. 1388) notes, “…his great skill was to make hard chances look simple.” Pakistan’s first wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed (1928-2016), who stood close to Wallis said, “Wallis was Pakistan’s first good slip fielder who changed the atmosphere in the slip cordon”.
The prowess of fast bowlers often takes the spotlight, but it's the unsung heroes in the slips cordon who play a pivotal role in changing the course of a match. Wallis Mathias carved his niche as one of the greatest slip fielders of his era.
The Pakistan team of the 1950s was vulnerable in fielding, the slips cordon to be precise. It was during this time of crisis that Wallis Mathias emerged as a beacon of hope. His extraordinary skills in the slips were evident in the domestic season, where he consistently showcased his ability to pluck catches out of thin air. His incredible reflexes and impeccable anticipation made him a fielder par excellence.
In the cricketing world where slip fielding is considered one of the most demanding skills, Wallis Mathias's excellence set a standard among his contemporaries. He transformed the slip cordon from a liability to strength, helping the Pakistan cricket team turn the tide of matches with his remarkable fielding abilities.
On the eve of the 1960-61 away series between Pakistan and India, Wallis Mathias married his sweetheart, Mary Fernandes, on October 17, 1960, in Karachi. Mary and her three children, Francis, Dolorosa and Shirley, are now settled in Canada.
As we remember the legends of cricket, let us not forget the unsung Goan heroes like Wallis Mathias, whose contributions in the field were just as instrumental in shaping the destiny of a match as the bowlers who hurled the deliveries and batsmen who notched up big scores. His legacy as a great slip-fielder is fondly remembered by folks who saw him in action, and many remember him to this day.
Wallis Mathias brought honour to the small Goan community of Karachi and in general, to Goans everywhere for being the first-ever to represent a country in Test Cricket. If Wallis had those instincts as a cricketer, I am sure our boys in Goa too can aim to break into, at least the Ranji Trophy – which for the information of readers, was the brainchild of a Goan from Karachi, the indomitable Anthony Stanislaus D'Mello (1900-1961)!
(The writer is a Toronto-based communications consultant, Karachi Goan community/city historian and author)
