Daily Times

Waheed Ahmed started his time at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2007. One of the safest pair of hands behind the wheel, Waheed does not only drive around the officials of the PCB but also pilots the cricket team bus to and from the hotel, airport, match venues and, in some cases, intercity travel.

Waheed was lucky that his favourite childhood cricketer Mudassar Nazar took his test drive in 2007. Recently, Waheed drove efficiently during the Sri Lanka, West Indies and HBL PSL 2019 series, transporting national and international players safely to their destinations.

Waheed, reflecting on his journey with the Pakistan team, said: “Hasan Ali and Fakhar Zaman are the two cricketers who arrive in the bus before the rest of the squad. Shoaib Malik and Wahab Riaz always sit at the front seat of the bus while travelling to ground while others prefer the window seat to glance around while travelling. During the HBL PSL 2019, even the international players liked to sit on the window seats to have a good look of Karachi’s culture.” National players chit-chat and enjoy themselves during the journey and request for song dedications. Mohammad Aamir often entertains everyone through his melodious voice.

To show their affection, Waheed recalls, Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan address him as Chacha while Aamir calls him Baba. “Driving Shoaib Malik to Sialkot is always one of the memorable trips of my life. To travel with my childhood favourites like Mudassar, Javed Miandad and Ramiz Raja was like a dream come true for me. I have found all national cricketers to be very polite and friendly.” Waheed is from Bagh, the city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Riding his brother’s motorbike instilled the passion of driving in him. His parents tried to show some resistance but Waheed opted to become a driver by profession. “I not only feel proud but honoured to work with PCB. I have passed 52 years of my life, if I get another 60 years, I would prefer to spend these with our national players.”