Syed Ali Anwar Jafri: The man who batted for UAE cricket

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Syed Ali Anwar Jafri: The man who batted for UAE cricket

Syed Ali Anwar Jafri set up AJ Sports - the only store in the world to sell cricket-only gear - in 1987. Here's the story of how an aspiring cricketer became a businessman - with his love for the sport intact.

By Yousuf Saifuddin Kapadia

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Published: Thu 31 Dec 2015, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Sat 2 Jan 2016, 7:31 AM

Ask any cricketer - professional or amateur - and they will tell you that none of them are 100 per cent sure about their fortunes on the pitch on any given day. Everyone walks out hoping to make a match winning score, but no one can predict whether they will get out on a duck or go on to score a 100 and beyond. Let's not forget the bowler is out there to give his best as well.
A young semi-professional cricketer, Syed Ali Anwar Jafri, from Pakistan's metropolis, Karachi, landed in the UAE as one such player - uncertain of his fortunes here, with dreams of pursuing his passion of playing cricket in Sharjah just like the other young lads who had been recruited to play here back in the 1970s.
Little did batsman Jafri know that the bowler, in this case, life, would throw him a full toss and not only would he go on to score a century, but stay on the pitch to play a long innings. Selecting his shots well, Syed Ali Anwar Jafri went on to found the first specialised cricket goods company in the UAE - the famous AJ Sports.
"It was 1976 when I, along with six other boys, was invited by Mr Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, who is known as the father of cricket in UAE, to play in Sharjah," he said, reminiscing his first time in the country. Bukhatir is still well known in the local cricketing community and to expats born here. He built the country's first cricket stadium in Sharjah and brought many players from South Asia to work and play in the country, and he continues to be an ambassador for the sport in the region.
"I also worked as an assistant accountant for one of Mr Bukhatir's project management companies. When he started bringing international cricket to the UAE in 1981 with the help of Asif Iqbal, who was the chief coordinator for the operations, I became an assistant coordinator under him."
He used to regularly visit the UK during the summers, which was when the seed of AJ Sports was planted, according to him, as players in the UAE would request him to get them cricket equipment when he returned. This continued till 1983. "Since there weren't many sporting shops back then and none of them sold proper cricket equipment, we used to either play with equipment we had brought with us or borrow each other's equipment." After the 1983 World Cup in England, two Pakistani players, Rashid Khan and Rizwan-uz-Zaman, who had played with him in Karachi and had stayed back in the UK to play league cricket, asked Jafri to accompany them to an English cricket manufacturing company called Stuart Surridge, as they wanted to buy some bats.
Jafri does not hail from a business family or background, but, the cricketer saw a lucrative business opportunity after a chance meeting with the man in charge of the company's factory. On the factory visit, he learnt that professional cricketers were charged half the price for bats and other equipment. "Taking advantage of the opportunity, I spent all of the £200 I had on buying equipment for my peers back in the UAE. This gave me the idea to start my own cricket goods business in the UAE as the demand was there and none of the sports stores here sold quality cricket gear. Also, the influx of professional cricketers had further triggered demand, which created an opportunity for me," added Jafri.
Starting small, Jafri began importing small consignments from the UK and Pakistan into the UAE. An ideal combination of cricketer and entrepreneur, a 'cricketeneur', his knowledge of the game helped him determine the quality of cricket equipment he imported, which made him a reliable supplier of cricket goods in the country.
"On November 1, 1987, we opened the first AJ Sports shop in Rolla, Sharjah," Jafri exclaims proudly. The only question at this point is: why AJ? "The laws here require names of establishments to be suggested by a concerned department. Coincidentally, the Arabic names suggested to us had the initials A and J in it, which matched the initials of my last and first name too, so the shop was called AJ!"
A consignment of Duke balls for the 1987 World Cup was the first major order that put AJ Sports on the map. "This helped AJ Sports develop ties with the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)." Over the years - after the introduction of coloured kits (uniforms) - all of the 10 Test playing nations, at some point in time, have worn kits manufactured by AJ Sports. And with Sharjah quickly emerging as a popular cricket destination during the 80s and 90s, AJ Sports never had to invest in a marketing plan - the AJ logo stamped on stumps and protective gear worn by players gave them all the attention they needed. "I believe this is partly what has kept the brand alive even after all these years," said Jafri.
So why did this institution that is AJ Sports move from its famous location in Sharjah to Karama in Dubai?
"The traffic! The traffic situation between Dubai and Sharjah has gotten worse over the years, which made it difficult for our Dubai-based customers to reach us. So, in April 2001, we decided to open another branch in Dubai," Jafri said. As with any new branch, business usually gets affected and AJ Sports went through the same cycle with the Dubai branch.
Recounting a funny anecdote about a customer, Jafri said that a regular Dubai-based customer coincidentally lived in the same building where the new shop is - but he never bought from there and instead chose to go the Sharjah store instead. "He used to visit the shop often but never bought anything." Apparently, he was simply emotionally attached to the original shop, out of nostalgia. That iconic store in Sharjah is now shut, and Jafri is focusing his efforts on the three branches in Dubai - at Rugby 7s, the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and, of course, at Karama.
AJ Sports holds a very special place in 'UAE nostalgia' - as clichéd as that may sound - particularly in the hearts and minds of the South Asian diaspora, including myself, since I got my first bat as an 8-year-old and my first full kit as an 11-year-old from the store. Although the Sharjah store is no more, my recent visit to the Karama store took me back in time - an adolescent excited to try out every bat on display, practising my square drive, and being the once threatening pacer that I was, I checked to see if I could recall my in-swinger grip on the cork ball.
Even though we have all grown up and become busy adults, I would still recommend a visit to AJ Sports, especially for cricket lovers who grew up here, or those who used to frequent the place as a child. Better yet, if you have a kid who is ready to play cricket, you know where want to take them.
yousufk@khaleejtimes.com

AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
Cricketers autographs on the glass window panel at AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
Cricketers autographs on the glass window panel at AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
Cricketers autographs on the glass window panel at AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad
Cricketers autographs on the glass window panel at AJ Sports store for all things cricket, including bats, balls and clothing, plus practice equipment in Karama. Photo by Kiran Prasad

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