Syed Abid Ali, one of India’s finest all-rounders, who passed away at 83 in the US recently, was a proud icon for cricket-crazy adolescents like me in the 1970s. The Hyderabadi cricketer was, in many ways, our redemption—at a time when India boasted the world’s best spin quartet but lacked fast bowlers to match the fiery pacers of other nations.

Blame it on our youth, but while we admired the guile and artistry of Bishan Singh Bedi, EAS Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar and S Venkataraghavan, we secretly craved speed—seeing it as a symbol of strength, aggression, and machismo. In Abid Ali, we found that rare breed - a complete cricketer. He opened both the bowling and batting, excelled as a wicketkeeper, and dazzled as a brilliant close-in fielder—a true all-rounder in every sense.

I still vividly remember the thrill of seeing Abid Ali in person as an 11-year-old schoolboy at Thiruvananthapuram’s University Stadium in August 1969. Unlike most cricketers of that era, who paid little attention to fitness, Ali stood out—muscular, with a thick moustache and long sideburns. He had come to play a Ranji Trophy South Zone league match, and at the time, he was more fearsome with the bat, especially against Kerala which, unlike today when it is the national runner-up, was one of India’s weakest teams during those days.

Ali had already tormented Kerala in the past, scoring centuries in their two previous Ranji encounters, including his career-best, an unbeaten 173. But he wasn’t the only star in the Hyderabad team-alongside him were even bigger names like the legendary Indian captain MAK Pataudi, the flamboyant ML Jaisimha, and the elegant Abbas Ali Baig, all of whom we mobbed for autographs.

Though Ali was the chief wrecker of Kerala who grabbed five wickets for 31 in the second innings, he did not shine with the bat (18 runs) in the 1969 match, unlike his impressive performance a few months earlier in Hyderabad. In that Ranji match against Kerala in November 1968, Ali made his........

© Mathrubhumi English