LAST Saturday (August 25) Sandford Cricket Club players, members and friends said goodbye to Faisal Iqbal after he has spent the 2018 season with the club.

He has to return to Pakistan as the home season starts on the first Saturday of September and he needs to get home to be re-united with his family.

While with Sandford Faisal undertook many coaching roles in addition to playing cricket most weekends on both a Saturday and a Sunday.

He started the season slowly and although getting runs, was never able to push on to make that big score that would help Sandford post a winnable target.

Having said that in the second half of the season he performed much better and often led from the front.

Faisal’s statistics for the season showed that he scored 758 runs at an average of 63.17. He scored nine 50’s and his top score for the season was 102 not out.

He also became a useful member of the bowling attack where he sent down over 118 overs and took 13 wickets at a cost of 552 runs.

Many gathered after the home game to Plymouth to thank Faisal for all his work with the club and to wish him well on his return to Pakistan.

Mike Canning