We are supposed to be a cricket mad nation, yet the death of a famous cricketer barely merits a mention in the news. Even the press in Singapore, which is fair way off the mainstream of cricket carried a story.
He was of course a cricketer of a different, more gentlemanly, era; a time when cricket was still a game and one dominated by Australia, South Africa and England. Playing for Oxford and Sussex he may well have played for England, like his father before him. He was one of India's most successful captains, leading them to their first overseas series win.
Even in India, his son, the actor Saif Ali Khan is now more famous than his father. He lived quietly avoiding publicity except once when he was caught up in it, charged with poaching.
The Telegraph carries a nice obituary, The Australian has a more detailed tribute.
RIP
Addendum: The Guardian has a good obituary.
2 comments:
Thanks for the posting. I remember him as the Nawab of Pataudi, as he was actually one of India's numerous princelings.
It would be nice to know if he played in Sri Lanka, in the Ranji Trophy matches in the 60s.
To be fair only people in their 50s or above would have heard of him, as some of the sports journalists here have little knowledge about sports history
He did indeed play against Ceylon, that is how I know about him. Long years ago my mother was cleaning out an old steamer trunk, which was lined with newspaper from the 1950's and 1960's.
I read through the newspapers, the sports page had some articles on Pataudi.
See
http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1964-65/CEYLON_IN_IND/IND_CEYLON_19-22DEC1964.html
http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1964-65/CEYLON_IN_IND/IND_CEYLON_11-13DEC1964.html
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