Sharjah scorer Jariwala's record feat of scoring 325 international matches from the age of 18

By K.R. Nayar

 Hakim Jariwala has preserved Javed Miandad’s last-ball six, Sachin Tendulkar’s sandstorm knock score sheets and the 2014 IPL scorebook. He keeps records of matches backed by his wife Nafisa

Scorer Hakim Jariwala with his wife Nafisa 

The scorer at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s press box, Hakim Jariwala, is hoping that journalists be permitted to the stadium from the play-off stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Jariwala has been a part of this stadium’s history being the scorer in the press box for all matches at this venue from the early eighties.

 Jariwala poses with the IPL score book he designed in 2014 with Ravi Shastri 

Speaking to Gulf News, Jariwala said: “I have been the scorer for 260 One Day Internationals (ODI), 50 Twenty20 matches and 15 Test matches at Sharjah, for a total of 325 matches. I was the press box scorer for the 2014 IPL too, and no big event at this venue has passed off without me recording the match in my scorebook. I hope I can be of help to journalists again before the IPL ends this year.”

With Sunil Gavaskar who has seen Jariwala from his playing days 

Sharjah figures in the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the maximum ODIs in the world and Jariwala could well be the scorer to have recorded scores for the highest number of international matches from one venue. Jariwala designs his scorebook according to the tournament format, makes it colourful giving different colours for fast and spin bowlers. After completing the days’ scoring, he rushes for the post-match press conference to get the signature of the captain or the star performer in his score sheet. He began scoring from the age of 18 at the Sharjah stadium, and his wife Nafisa has been assisting him since they got married. Nafisa too enjoys cricket, and she has taken on the responsibility to preserve all her husband's score-sheets and also ensures all calculations are error-proof. “In the 2014 IPL, I recorded all the matches in Sharjah. It includes Glenn Maxwell’s 95 off 43 balls for Kings XI Punjab against Sunrisers Hyderabad,” noted Jariwala, who is proud to have the score sheets of Javed Miandad’s last-ball six and  Sachin Tendulkar’s sandstorm knock as his prized possession.

Jariwala makes it a point to get the signature of  the captain on his score sheet before post match press conference 

Jariwala makes it a point to take pictures of his scorebook with top cricketers. Many greats like Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, who have seen him from their playing days, have obliged and they also acknowledge his passion.

Featured in  IPL Diary on October 25th Gulf News