Swashbuckling cricketer from Hyderabad played 29 Test matches for India and was part of the inaugural ODI World Cup in 1975

metro india news  I hyderabad

One of the most revered cricketers from Hyderabad, former India all-rounder Syed Abid Ali passed away on Wednesday. A swashbuckling allrounder would have been a huge hit had he played in white ball cricket. In the inaugural men’s ODI World Cup in 1975 against New Zealand in Manchester, he scored a 98-ball 70 and took two wickets. A medium pace bowling allrounder, Abid played 29 Test matches for India, scoring 1018 runs and taking 47 wickets.

In his debut Test against Australia in Brisbane in 1967-68, he registered impressive figures of six for 55, his career-best. Later in the same series, he scored 78 and 81, showcasing his potential with the bat. Abid Ali was also a vital part of India’s historic Test series victories in England and the West Indies in 1971 under Ajit Wadekar’s captaincy

As a coach, Abid handled the Hyderabad junior team, the national sides of Maldives and UAE, and was a mentor at the Telangana Cricket Association. He was also at the helm of the Andhra team that won the South Zone league in the 2001-02 Ranji Trophy. M S K Prasad, former chief national selector and wicket keeper said, "One thing I can proudly say is that during his tenure as Andhra’s coach, he instilled in us the art of winning — transforming us from mere participants into true competitors.”

A superb athlete, his heroics are still spoken by old Hyderabadis. Sudhershan Jishnu, a lawyer who played club cricket for Hyderabad says, “Abid Ali would come jogging from Mehdipatnam to Amberpet. He was a fitness freak. He would sneak singles with Eknath Solkar. It was a treat to watch. It is a big loss.”