Kureishi's devotion to cricket, in his own words, started as "a passion" and eventually became "a love affair" which "remained a constant" in his life through all its "ups and downs". Though he had never played first-class or Test cricket (his only exposure to competitive cricket at an organised level was a brief stint in club cricket in the UK when he went there during his life as student), he was recognised as an outstanding and extremely knowledgeable cricket commentator. He shared the "Test Match Special" commentary box during Pakistan's early tours to England and together with Jamsheed Marker, he was a regular voice on the airwaves in Pakistan during the late 1950s and '60s. Bill Frindall, the TMS statistician, described him as "a lively, witty and popular colleague" and called him "the voice of Asian sport". Omar Kureishi counted many cricketers, most notably Abdul Hafeez Kardar, as his close friends.