Syed Mushtaq Ali

Mushtaq Ali in 1936
Personal information
Full name	Syed Mushtaq Ali
Born	(1914-12-17)17 December 1914 Indore, Indore State, British India
Died	18 June 2005(2005-06-18) (aged 90) Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	All-Rounder
International information
National side	India (1934–1952)
Test debut (cap 19)	5 January 1934 v England
Last Test	6 February 1952 v England
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1934–1944	Muslims
1934–1940	Central India
1937	Rajputana
1939	Central Provinces and Berar
1941	Gujarat
1941	Maharashtra
1941–1955	Holkar
1941	United Provinces
1955	Madhya Bharat
1956–1957	Uttar Pradesh
1957–1958	Madhya Pradesh
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 11 226 Runs scored 612 13,213 Batting average 32.21 35.90 100s/50s 2/3 30/63 Top score 112 233 Balls bowled 378 9,702 Wickets 3 162 Bowling average 67.33 29.34 5 wickets in innings 0 6 10 wickets in match 0 2 Best bowling 1/45 7/108 Catches/stumpings 7/– 160/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 24 May 2020

Syed Mushtaq Ali (pronunciation^ⓘ; 17 December 1914 – 18 June 2005) was an Indian cricketer, a right-handed opening batsman who holds the distinction of scoring the first overseas Test century by an Indian player when he scored 112 against England at Old Trafford in 1936.^{[1] [2][3]} He batted right-handed but was a slow left arm orthodox spin bowler. He bowled frequently enough in domestic matches to be classified as an all-rounder but only occasionally in test matches.^[4] Mushtaq Ali was noted for his graceful batting style and a flair which often cost him his wicket by being over-adventurous too soon in an innings.^[2] He received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995, the highest honour bestowed by BCCI on a former player.^[5]

Career

Mushtaq Ali was the discovery of C. K. Nayudu who observed him at Indore at the age of 13 and helped to develop his cricketing skills.^[6]

A Wisden Special Award winner, he scored four first-class hundreds in the 1936 tour. He was an opening or middle order right-hand batsman but hardly played international cricket mainly due to World War II. In total, he played in 11 tests. He made his debut in the test against England at Calcutta, 5–8 Jan 1934, and played his last test against England at Madras, 6–10 Feb 1952, at the age of 38.

Domestic cricket

He was educated in Indore and at Aligarh Muslim University. He played extensively for regional teams and private clubs when cricket was a young sport in India. In first-class cricket, he represented Holkar, Central India, Muslims, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Bharat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and India between 1930 and 1964.^[7] He was not only a sporting legend, but a popular superstar of his time, and an icon for the younger generation of Indian youth. Combining with another legend, the cautious yet skilled Vijay Merchant, Mushtaq Ali's aggression and powerful stroke play formed a dynamic and legendary opening partnership for the team for years.^{[citation needed]}

He played for Holkar in the National Championship for the Ranji Trophy along with other stalwarts like C. K. Nayudu. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1964 and made a life member of the Marylebone Cricket Club for his contribution to the game. He published his autobiography, Cricket Delightful in 1967.^[8] He died in his sleep, at the age of 90 in 2005.^[9] The Indian domestic T20 series is named after him. Mushtaq Ali's son, Gulrez Ali, and his grandson, Abbas Ali, both played first-class cricket.^{[citation needed]}

Awards

• Padma Shri – awarded in 1964
• C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award - awarded in 1995^[5]
• Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – This is a Twenty20 cricket domestic championship in India, organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, among the teams from the Ranji Trophy. The 2008–09 season was the inaugural season for this trophy.^[10][11]