Syed Abid Ali, the old India all-rounder known for being adaptable and a great fielder, passed away on Wednesday at 83 after being sick for a while. He was one of the famous Hyderabad cricketers like MAK Pataudi, ML Jaisimha, and Abbas Ali Baig. He died in the US.
The North America Cricket League (NACL) shared the news of his death. NACL posted on Facebook, saying they were sad to share that Syed Abid Ali, a cricket legend from India who lived in Tracy, California, had died. They said his legacy inspires them to be their best.
They mentioned that the NACL and cricket in the Bay Area are thankful for his hard work and what he did for the Northern California Cricket Association (NCCA), which shows how much he helped.
They asked people to remember him in their prayers and celebrate his legacy by chasing their passions with hard work and dedication. Ali started his Test career in December 1967 against Australia in Adelaide, where he had an amazing 6/55 in the first innings, which was his best bowling performance.
He also showed he could bat well in the same series, scoring 78 and 81 in the Sydney Test.
From 1967 to 1974, he played 29 Tests for India, scoring 1,018 runs and taking 47 wickets.
People knew him for working hard and being ahead of his time.
He was super fast running between wickets and one of the best fielders back then.
Ali also did something unusual: he opened both the batting and bowling for India in several matches, like two against New Zealand in 1968, three at home in 1969, and two on the 1971 tour of the West Indies.
His time in ODIs wasn’t long, but it was important.
He was on the Ajit Wadekar-led Indian team that played its first ODI in 1974 against England, which India lost.
In that first game, he batted at No. 8, scoring 17, and opened the bowling. In the second ODI, Ali batted at No 10 and got his first wicket.
Ali also played in the first ODI World Cup in 1975, playing in three matches.
His best ODI performance was against New Zealand, where he scored 70 off 98 balls.
In his five ODI games, he scored 93 runs and took seven wickets.
In domestic cricket, Ali played 212 first-class matches, scoring 8,732 runs, including a highest score of 173 not out, and took 397 wickets.
Many people in the cricket world shared their sadness, remembering him as a great mentor, teammate, and person.
Madan Lal, who won the World Cup with India, posted that Abid Ali was a great teammate and person, and he sent his condolences to his family.
MSK Prasad, a former selector and wicketkeeper, remembered Ali’s time as Andhra coach.
Prasad said it was sad that Abid Sir had passed away and that he had been sick for a while.
Prasad added that Ali taught them how to win when he coached Andhra, changing them from just participants to real competitors.
He said that Ali made their team a strong one in domestic cricket for ten years and helped them create a winning culture. He said that his help to Andhra cricket will always be remembered.