Syed Abid Aliwho represented India in 29 Checks from 1967 to 1974, has died in California aged 83. A medium pacer who was famend for his excessive requirements of fielding and lightning-fast operating between the wickets, one in every of his biggest moments on the cricket discipline got here with the bat: he hit the successful runs for India from No. 8
at The Oval in 1971 that will give India their first sequence triumph in England.
These runs got here through a “sq. minimize that by no means reached the boundary because it was engulfed by jubilant supporters charging onto the bottom”, as
has been reported on ESPNcricinfo.
He completed with 47 wickets from his 29 Checks, together with career-best figures of 6 for 55 in his debut innings
towards Australia in Adelaide. His medium tempo got here with sufficient variations to check batters. He additionally recorded six Take a look at-match fifties, together with twin fifties
in Sydney later in that debut sequence.
Arguably, he may very well be labeled as an allrounder, given these twin fifties got here as an opener – two out of 21 Take a look at innings he had on the prime of the order. These fifties in Sydney included “cavalier therapy of the brand new ball”, in response to the
match report. Total, he batted throughout the order for India, in every single place barring Nos. 4, 10 and 11. Nearly all of his Take a look at innings, nevertheless – 20 out of 53 – got here at No. 8.
Then, there have been his spectacular health ranges and fielding. His ESPNcricinfo profile sums it up thus: “Abid Ali had the ft of a sprinter, the power of a marathon runner and the desire of a decathlete, however his misfortune was that he was born 20 years too early. His recreation was made to order for one-day cricket: he bowled brisk medium-pace, fielded outstandingly, and was a busy lower-order batsman who ran between the wickets as if on invisible skates.”
His pursuit of excessive ranges of health got here at a time when, after all, that was not the norm in cricket and helped him acquire a fame each as a close-in fielder and for his spot-on flat throws from the outfield. Former ESPNcricinfo columnist
V ramnarayanwho was a younger cricketer in Hyderabadi home circles when Abid Ali was in his prime,
wrote of him: “The punishing routine of coaching he adopted was usually the topic of anecdotes, wildly exaggerated and embellished, however excellent leisure within the night after an extended day on the floor.”
He was additionally fairly a vibrant character. Ramnarayan additionally wrote of him: “He was demonstrative in an age when most bowlers tended to cover their feelings. His appeals to God when he beat the sting, and his sardonic grins at batsmen blessed by the Lord – unfairly in Abid’s opinion – have been sights to see and keep in mind.”
Abid Ali by no means went on to ascertain himself as a premier identify in Indian cricket, partly as a result of he had the misfortune of being a bowler within the period of India’s well-known spin quartet. He was a mainstay for Hyderabad, although, enjoying 212 first-class video games throughout 20 seasons, taking 397 wickets at 28.55 and scoring 8732 runs with 13 tons of and 41 fifties. He performed his final Take a look at match in December 1974, his final ODI in June 1975, and his final first-class recreation in 1978-79.
After his enjoying days, Abid Ali went on to teach Andhra on the Ranji Trophy, and in addition had stints with UAE and Maldives. On the time of his loss of life, he was residing in Tracy, California, with household.
