Syed Haider Ali, ‘Godfather’ of Railways cricket, passes away

New Delhi: Syed Haider Ali, a domestic cricket stalwart, and one of the finest left-arm spinners who never played for India, has passed away after battling prolonged illness. “He was suffering from chest congestion for some time now. After a routine check-up with his doctor, we were returning home, when he suddenly collapsed. He passed away around 1.30 pm on Saturday,” Raza, a former firstclass cricketer, told PTI. Haider made his first-class debut for the Railways in the 1963-64 season and went on to play for his side with distinction for close to 25 years. A classical left-arm orthodox spinner, who honed his skills on docile tracks around the country in the 1960s and 1970s, Haider bamboozled batters through guile and deception.

By the time he hung his boots in 1988, Haider was by far the most celebrated cricketer for the Railways. He finished with 366 wickets in 113 first-class games, scalping three 10-wicket hauls and 25 five-wicket hauls, at an impressive average of 19.71. Not only he accomplished much as a spinner, Haider was equally skilful with the bat, making invaluable contributions batting at No.7. “He scored 120 against Vidarbha in Nagpur in a Ranji Trophy match in 1984-85 season. I remember we had lost seven wickets and were staring at an innings defeat. We would have lost that game without him,” former Railways coach Vinod Sharma said. —PTI