Syed Abid Ali, the quintessential all-rounder of Indian cricket from 1967 to 1974, was often described as a lion-hearted player. He passed away on Wednesday, March 12, leaving Hyderabad cricket fans in mourning.
He was one of the hardest working and most committed players of his generation. In every capacity, whether in batting, bowling or fielding, he put in more than one hundred percent effort.
This correspondent had the good fortune of watching him play several times at the Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium in Hyderabad. Back then India was not what it is today. India would often be pulverized by the West Indies, Australia and England. But Abid Ali was one of the few Indian players who were unafraid of the opposition. He was a fighter to the core, never afraid to attack the rival bowlers and batsmen. He cared nothing for their reputation.
He was also a fitness freak long before it became a trend among cricketers. His amazing level of fitness enabled him to set fielding standards that were far ahead of his time. It was the brilliant close catching cordon of Abid Ali, Eknath Solkar, Ajit Wadekar and Sunny Gavaskar who enabled the Indian spin quartet of Bedi, Prasanna, Venkat and Chandra to win matches.
Life was never easy
But life was not easy for him. Sorrow dogged his footsteps. He lost his son and then his daughter went through a divorce. Many years ago his son Faqeer Ali got married to Nishath Kirmani, eldest daughter of wicketkeeper Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani. The coming together of two of Indian cricket’s famous families was a rare joyous occasion.
But sadly, the joy did not last long. Faqeer Ali was an avid cricketer and often played club level cricket at the local level in California, where Abid Ali and his family members had settled. Tragically, one day while playing cricket, Faqeer Ali suffered a massive heart attack and passed away, leaving behind a devastated wife and a young child. He was only 34 years old. His demise left both families in shock. Abid Ali was devastated to lose a son at such a young age.
Kirmani has written about this incident in his autobiography. His daughter Nishath later remarried and is now blessed with two more children.
Helped many youngsters
In the course of his cricket career, Abid Ali helped many youngsters to set up their own careers. One such player was Khalid Abdul Qaiyum who later became one of Hyderabad’s most reliable middle order batsmen and spin bowlers. It was Abid Ali who ensured that Khalid got a chance to play for the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy team when everyone else was ignoring his talent.
Views of Khalid Abdul Qaiyum
Khalid, while chatting with this correspondent from the USA where he now lives, disclosed: “Abid Bhai was a great cricketer and a very decent gentleman. He was always willing to help young players. He was the one who fought for my place in the first eleven of the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy team and I owe him a lot.”
“After I ended my cricket career, I moved to Atlanta in the USA. Abid Bhai too was living in California. So I had invited him to Atlanta to handle a coaching assignment for one month. Every young player who attended the camp was appreciative of his approach and interaction. Many of the parents too became very attached to him. It spoke volumes for his integrity and decency. I will miss him a lot.”
“I tried to call him a few days back but he did not pick up the phone. Perhaps he was not feeling well. We cricketers have lost a great person and an outstanding athlete. But he suffered many setbacks in life. His son passed away and then his daughter went through a divorce.”
“He has two grandsons to whom he was very close. They too loved him. But now their beloved grandfather has gone. My deepest condolences to their family,” said Khalid.
Abid Ali’s early life
Abid Ali studied at St George’s Grammar School and then at All Saints High School. In 1956, the selectors picked him to play for Hyderabad Schools, who were impressed by his fielding. He scored 82 against Kerala and also picked up the best fielder’s prize. When the State Bank of Hyderabad formed a cricket team a few years later, he was given a job there.
On 23rd December, 1967, he was given his Test cap against Australia at Adelaide and it was a debut that remained etched in the history of Indian cricket. He ripped apart the formidable Aussie batsmen and took six wickets for 55 runs. At that time it was the best performance by any Indian bowler in a debut match. But now the lion of Indian cricket has been called away from the battlefield. He will fight no more.
May his soul rest in peace.
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