Former Indian cricketer Salim Durani passes away after prolonged illness

Durani had undergone a proximal femoral nail surgery after he broke his thigh bone in a fall in January this year

Sunil Gavaskar had once written that if ever Salim Durani wrote his autobiography, the apt title would be Ask for a Six.

For those who are still alive to recollect Indian cricket’s nascent days in the 1960s and early 70s, one thing that remains etched in almost everyone’s memory is that if spectators wanted a big hit, Durani duly obliged.

By shouting “Sixerrrrr, Sixerrrr”, the 90,000 spectators at the then raucous Eden Gardens would make optimal use of their lungs. And legend has it that the very next ball would either soar into long on or deep midwicket stands.

Durani was the “people’s man”, whose impact can never be quantified by the 29 Test matches that he played over 13 years between 1960 and 1973, or the 1,200-plus runs he scored and 75 wickets that he took with his mean left-arm spin.

 

The 88-year-old breathed his last on Sunday but the first and only Afghanistan-born cricketer to play Test cricket for India will forever remain “Prince Salim” of Indian cricket, Salim bhai to all young and old, and Salim uncle to Gavaskar.

He was a “Prince” in terms of attitude and won many hearts.

A lone hundred, three five-wicket hauls, and a mediocre batting average of 25-plus do not tell the whole story.

At a time when Test match fee was Rs 300, Durani was more of an amateur, whose only agenda was to enjoy and let others have fun.

The students of Indian cricket history find it baffling that Durani played all his overseas Tests, eight out of a total of 29, in the West Indies across two tours.

He continued playing Ranji Trophy for Rajasthan and ended a distinguished first-class career with 8,545 runs and 484 wickets in 1976-77, when he was well into his mid-40s.

One-day cricket started towards the fag end of his career, and no one knows if limited overs format was there in his best years, what could have been the possibilities.