Former India cricketer Salim Durani, who played a key role in beating England in the Test series in 1961-62, died on Sunday at the age of 88. He was living with his brother, Jahangir Durani, in Gujarat’s Jamnagar and had undergone a surgery for thigh bone fracture in January this year. Former Indian All Rounder Salim Durani dies at 88.
The Kabul-born Salim Durani, who packed a punch with his bat and was also a handy left-arm orthodox bowler, played 29 Tests. In the five-Test series against England in 1961-62, India beat the visitors 2-0, and it was Salim Durani who starred with the ball, taking 18 wickets in India’s two victories in Calcutta and Madras.
A decade after the epic triumph against England, he played a key role in helping India to victory against the West Indies in Port of Spain, dismissing both Clive Lloyd and Sir Garfield Sobers. Salim Durani, known for his fine dressing style and swagger, scored just one century, though he had seven fifties in the 50 innings he played for the country, scoring 1,202 runs.
Salim Durani made his Test debut against Australia at in the beginning of 1960 at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, and played his last international match, then only restricted to the traditional, five-day format, against England in February 1973. The venue was again the place where he had started his international career.
The stylish cricketer aggregated 8,545 runs at 33.37 in first-class cricket and hit 14 hundreds.
A joy to watch when in full flow, Salim Durani had the ability to demolish any bowling attack on his day, though it was as a bowler he had first made his mark for the Indian team. India’s first Arjuna Award winner in cricket, Salim Durani was a tall man and could get the ball to lift and turn on any surface with a bit of help.
A fascinating character, the cricketer shared a special relation with the crowd, who once expressed their ire after he was dropped from the team for a match in Kanpur, and carried banners and placards that read ‘No Durani, no test’.
In domestic circuit, Salim Durani represented Gujarat, Rajasthan and Saurashtra during a career that spanned two decades and a half. He also starred in the Bollywood film ‘Charitra’ in 1973, opposite famous actress of the ’70s and ’80s, Praveen Babi.
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