bezar ho gae the jo shaer hayat se
cricket ka match khel liya shaeraat se
waqif na the jo dosto! aurat ki zat se
chauke laga rahe the khayalon mein raat se
aai jo subh sham ke naqshe bigad gae
sarron se hum gharibon ke stump ukhad gae
naz-o-ada o husn ne jadu jaga diye
pahle to opner ke hi chhake chhuda diye
one-down pe jo aae to stump uda diye
rah-e-farar ke bhi to raste bhula diye
go catch wery-low tha magar be-dhadak liya
ek mohtaram ko ek ne gali mein lapak liya
kya kya bayan kijiye ek ek ka bankpan
jalwa-figan zamin pe thi taron ki anjuman
husn-o-shabab o ishq se bharpur har badan
shaer pawilion mein the pahne hue kafan
jitni thin beautiful wo slip par gali pe thin
jitni thin ower-age sabhi baundary pe thin
pariyon ke jis tarah se pare koh-qaf par
ek long-on par thi to ek long-off par
ek thi cower mein ek hasina mid-off par
jo short-pich thi gend wo aati thi naf par
thahre na wo crease pe jo the bade bade
mujh jaise tim-tam to wicketon pe phat pade
wo lal gend phul ho jaise gulab ka
jis tarah dast-e-naz mein saghar sharab ka
saya hawa mein nachta tha aaftab ka
bumper mein sara zor tha husn-o-shabab ka
aise bhi apne ishq ka maidan banate the
empire har apeal par ungli uthate the
jab ball phenkti thi wo gesu sanwar ke
nazdik aur hote the haalat haar ke
kahte the match dekhne wale pukar ke
ustad ja rahe hain shab-e-gham guzar ke
ustad kah rahe the ki phatkar match par
do do jhapat rahi hain sharifon ke catch par