GHULAM AHMED

 
🏏🏏

GHULAM AHMED
(4 Jul 1922 - 28 Oct 1998) 

The gentleman cricketer from Hyderabad, right-arm slow Ghulam Ahmed, was regarded as an off-spinner of the highest class, the first ever to play for India. His easy action helped in good control over line and length. Representing India for a decade, he along with Vinoo Mankad and Subhash Gupte, formed the first great Indian spin trio... 

By sheer coincidence of sorts, Ghulam Ahmed's debut and final Tests were against the West Indies, on the same ground, Delhi, exactly a decade apart - 31st December 1948 and 1958 respectively...

Ghulam Ahmed toured England in 1952 and Pakistan in 1954-55. He captained India in 3 Tests -  a drawn Test against New Zealand in 1955-56, and found himself on the losing side in two against the West Indies in 1958-59...

Ghulam Ahmed played in the inaugural Test between India and Pakistan in 1952-53, Delhi, which India won. A memorable one for him as he took five wickets and scored 50 at number 11, putting on 109 for the famous tenth wicket stand with Hemu Adhikari...

Ghulam Ahmed scalped 68 Test wickets from the 22 that he played, @30.17 a piece, 7/49 being his best. He scored 192 runs from 31 innings, 50 being his top score, and held on to 11 catches... 

The bowling mainstay of his team, Ghulam Ahmed represented Hyderabad from 1939-40 to 1958-59. He has 407 wickets from 98 games @22.57 a piece to his name, the best being 9/53. He scored 1379 runs with 90 as his highest, along with 57 catches...

Ghulam Ahmed managed the Indian team that toured Australia and New Zealand in 1967-68...

The former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal is Ghulam Ahmed's nephew, and the Indian tennis player Sania Mirza his grand-niece... 

He was the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India from 1975 to 1980...

Ghulam Ahmed passed away this day in 1998, in Hyderabad... 

🙏🙏🌹💐    🇮🇳

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