Syed Abid Ali, who represented India in 29 Exams 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, considered one of his best moments on the cricket area 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 collection triumph in England.
These runs got here by way of a “sq. reduce 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 Exams, together with career-best figures of 6 for 55 in his debut innings
against 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 collection.
Arguably, he may very well be categorised 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 accordance with the
match report. Total, he batted throughout the order for India, in all places 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 vitality 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, in fact, that was not the norm in cricket and helped him achieve a status each as a close-in fielder and for his spot-on flat throws from the outfield. Former ESPNcricinfo columnist
V Ramnarayan, who 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 typically 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 bear in mind.”
Abid Ali by no means went on to determine himself as a premier identify in Indian cricket, partially 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, taking part in 212 first-class video games throughout 20 seasons, taking 397 wickets at 28.55 and scoring 8732 runs with 13 a whole bunch 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 taking part in days, Abid Ali went on to educate Andhra on the Ranji Trophy, and likewise had stints with UAE and Maldives. On the time of his demise, he was residing in Tracy, California, with household.
