Salim Durani
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A profile
Avijit Ghosh, April 3, 2023: The Times of India
From: Avijit Ghosh, April 3, 2023: The Times of India
From: Avijit Ghosh, April 3, 2023: The Times of India
Salim Durani's match-winning deliveries and six-hitting skills are part of Indian cricket's folklore, and his fetching looks added a dash of style and romance to the game in the 1960s and 1970s.
Durani, the first cricketer to win the Arjuna Award, had a surgery after breaking his thigh bone in January.
Young modern-day fans might wonder what was so special about him after looking at the all-rounder's international career: 29 Tests. 1,204 runs (avg: 25) and 75 wickets (avg: 35) spanning 13 years (1960-73). But like his fictional namesake Saleem Sinai in Salman Rushdie's 'Midnight's Children', Durani was in central situations in several key moments of India's cricket history.
Durani's left-arm spin - he took a 10-wicket haul in Madras- fashioned India's 2-0 triumph over England in 1961-62 when series wins were as rare as films without songs. A few months later, the southpaw counterattacked the intimidating Wes Hall of West Indies for 104 when several others "crumpled". At a time when Mughal-e-Azam's Prince Salim was on a million minds, Durani became the people's shehzada (prince) Salim. He was a hero and a star rolled into one.
PM Modi hailed Durani as a "cricketing legend and an institution in himself".
'Shehzada' Salim was sixer king
In 1971, the left-arm spinner famously promised captain Ajit Wadekar the night before that he would get the wickets of Gary Sobers and Clive Lloyd. Durani walked the talk, leading to India's first win over the formidable Windies at Port of Spain. And in 1973, the left-hander endured pain to smote two match-winning sixes on a devilish track, leading to another series win against England.
Nowadays when a single IPL game can witness 15 sixes, it is easy to challenge the dexterity of someone who struck only 15 sixes in his entire Test career. But again those were days of different bats and mindsets. No Indian cricketer of that generation has a better per match average, roughly one six in every second test. "They say lifting the ball is dangerous. I say life itself is dangerous," quipped Kabul-born Durani in The Illustrated Weekly of India in 1979.
During the 1972-73 series, he would often hit a sixer as the crowds chanted, "We want sixer", earning him the reputation of a six-hitter on demand. In the 1979 article Durani pointed out that wasn't the case. "I must clear up this notion about my hitting a six by 'public demand.' It so happened that a couple of sixes I hit in the 1972-73 series coincided with the public's demand."
Durani's parents lived in Afghanistan, but they first shifted to Karachi and then to Jamnagar in pre-independence India. His Afghan origin helped forge a bridge between two nations when he was made a special guest in Afghanistan's first Test match against India in Bengaluru in 2018.
Tutored and guided by the great Vinoo Mankad, who also played for Jamnagar, Durani fired a stroke-filled ton for Saurashtra against Gujarat in his debut Ranji Trophy game in 1953. He played domestic cricket for Gujarat too, but forged a long-term relationship with Rajasthan; the kings of the western state played a vital role in his life.
The all-rounder was pivotal to Central Zone's Duleep Trophy triumph against star-studded West Zone in 1972. Durani scalped nine wickets and single-handedly steered his side to a narrow two-wicket win with an unbeaten 83.
He should have played more Tests. Gavaskar wrote in his autobiography, 'Sunny Days', "...People call him a 'wayward genius'. I don't know about his being wayward, but he is certainly 'a genius,". West Indies got a taste of his genius at Port-of-Spain in 1971. Over six feet tall, Durani could make the ball turn and bounce and on a helpful surface could conjure an unplayable delivery like the one that sneaked through Sobers' bat and pad and lifted the leg bail.
"It was a dream delivery. In an age of television that ball would have been shown over and over again. And probably, like the Shane Warne delivery that bowled Mike Gatting round the legs, one would have remembered it much more," Ajit Wadekar, who captained India in that game, told this reporter in 2006.
Durani's looks and popularity ultimately earned him a lead part in 'Charitra' (1973). Playing a playboy industrialist, he was paired with Parveen Babi in the B R Ishara flop. Speaking to this reporter in 2007, the cricketer also recalled shooting for another film, 'Akhri Din, Pehli Raat'. "Meena Kumari had written the film's story. We shot about eight reels. Unfortunately, the film was never completed," said Durani, who was also considered for roles in 'Pakeezah' and 'Sharmilee'.
For many years, he would be seen in Delhi's Press Club of India enjoying his drink.
His experiences with the cricket and film world would have made for a delightful autobiography. Gavaskar had even suggested a name for the book: Ask for a Six. Sadly, Durrani never took a shot at it.
A summing up
Sriram Veera, April 2, 2023: The Indian Express
Salim Durani played just 29 Tests, took 75 wickets, and scored 1,202 runs. But Durani was never about numbers. He was Indian cricket’s ultimate entertainer, someone who always played for the galleries.
Durani was a flamboyant all-rounder with movie star looks, known for hitting sixes on demand, a temperamental spinner who, on his day, could remove the best batsman — the story of him telling Ajit Wadekar to give him the ball and proceeding to knock out Garry Sobers is often spoken about.
He was an enigmatic cricketer, with almost everything about him being mythical — like about his place of birth. In some interviews, he said he left Kabul and moved to Karachi when he was eight months old; in others, he said he had never been to Kabul.
His colourful personality allowed him to be at ease with maharajas, movie stars as well as the common man. His love for alcohol, Gold Flake cigarettes, and even his financial crisis, just added to his image of a carefree character who lived his life to fullest.
Those who knew him well would often say, “Salimbhai mast rehte hain hamesha”. On Sunday, his “mast life” ended.
He belonged to the era of handsome cricketers; the debonair M L Jaisimha, who would stylishly wrap a scarf around his neck; the royal Tiger Pataudi, regal in all aspects; the charming Faroukh Engineer, flamboyance on and off the field; the dashing Budhi Kunderan, who married an English woman and settled in Scotland; the handsome Abbas Ali Baig, who had women fans jump over the fence to land a kiss; and of course Durani.
It’s best to start with his sixes-on-demand as that kickstarted the public craze about him. Its origins probably lie in the 1965-66 Ranji Trophy final in Jaipur when he hooked Ramakant Desai for a six after the crowd asked for the maximum.
“Miracles like that followed in succession. In Test matches, my first sixer on demand was in Calcutta in 1972-73 against England. There was a loud roar in the east stand: Salimda! We want a sixer! The bowler was none other than Derek Underwood in top form,” he once said in an interview.
It’s said that he was a mercurial left-arm spinner and could wreak havoc. In his book, Gundappa Vishwanath wrote about the origin of the famous story of how Durani knocked out Garry Sobers.
During the 1971 tour of West Indies, Vishwanath was having a drink in captain Ajit Wadekar’s room at the end of the third day’s play when Durani walked in. “He straightaway asked Ajit if he could have a drink; he loved his drink or two in the evenings and it was standard practice in the West Indies for all of us to assemble in Ajit’s room and unwind. Just then he said, ‘I will get you Lloyd and Sobers tomorrow in two overs’. All of us were surprised and looked at him as he continued, ‘Just give me the ball when Lloyd is on strike and even if someone else picks up the non-striker at that point, don’t bother continuing with him and throw me the ball against Sobers’,” Vishwanath recalled.
The next day, he walked the talk, getting Clive Lloyd caught by Wadekar for 15 and bowling Sobers with a ripper from the rough outside off stump for a duck.
He became life-long friends with the likes of Sobers and Rohan Kanhai. He was well-known in Pakistan too, particularly because of his father Aziz Durani, who went back to Karachi after Partition. Former Pakistan captain and the manager of the 1992 World Cup team Intikhab Alam was saddened to hear of his demise. “I knew his father, Master Aziz, very well; in fact Master was very close to my uncle who was DIG, Police, in Karachi in the 50s, and was instrumental in getting Master Abdul Aziz married. After his marriage, he went to India, but he came back after Partition. He was a passionate coach, who taught the great batsman Hanif Mohammad, among others,” he said.
“The story also goes that Master Aziz wanted his son Salim to be a left-arm spinner and left-arm batsman. But young Salim was equally ambidextrous as a bowler. So, Master Aziz developed the drill where Salim’s right hand would be tied behind his back and he would bowl, so that the left-arm spin became more ‘natural’. So, not only was Salim your big-hitting all-rounder, but he also could bowl with both hands. Way ahead of his time… When I came to India for my first tour in 1960-61, I met Salim in Bombay and we shared memories of his father,” Intikhab told The Indian Express.
Durani also starred in Hindi films, acting opposite Parveen Babi in ‘Charitra’, where, in one of dialogues, he said: “Zindagi ki sabse bada tragedy yahi hai ki log devta ko pehchaante hai, shaitaan ko pehchaante hain, lekin insaan ko nahi (Life’s biggest tragedy is that people recognise and value gods, demons, but not humans).”
Fortunately, in his life, he was loved by all, his fans, peers, the next generation of cricketers, across the world – in India, in the Caribbean, and Pakistan.
A
April 3, 2023: The Times of India
In 1971, the left-arm spinner famously promised captain Ajit Wadekar the night before that he would get the wickets of Gary Sobers and Clive Lloyd. Durani walked the talk, leading to India’s first w in over the formidable Windies at Port of Spain. And in 1973, the left-hander endured pain to smote two match-winning sixes on a devilish track, leading to another series win against England.
Now adays when a single IPL game can witness 15 sixes, it is easy to challenge the dexterity of someone who struck only 15 sixes in his entire Test career. But again those were days of different bats and mindsets. No Indian cricketer of that generation has a better per match average, roughly one six in every second test. “They say lifting the ball is danger ous. I say life itself is dangerous,” quipped Kabulborn Durani in The Illustrated Weekly of India in 1979.
During the 1972-73 series, he would often hit a sixer as the crowds chanted, “We want sixer”, earning him the reputation of a six-hitter on demand. In the 1979 article Durani pointed out that wasn’t the case. “I must clear up this notion about my hitting a six by ‘public demand. ’ It so h appened that a couple of sixes I hit in the 1972-73 series coincided with the public’s demand. ”
Durani’s parents lived in Afghanistan, but they first shifted to Karachi and then to Jamnagar in pre-independence India. His Afghan origin helped forge a bridge between two nations when he was made a special guest in Afghanistan’s first Test match against India in Bengalu ru in 2018. Tutored and guided by the great Vinoo Mankad, who also played for Jamnagar, Durani fired a stroke-filled ton for Saurashtra against Gujarat in his debut Ranji Trophy game in 1953. He played do mestic cricket for Gujarat too, but forged a longterm relationship with Rajasthan; the kings of the western state played a vital role in his life. The all-rounder was pivotal to Centra l Zone’s Duleep Trophy triumph against star-studded West Zone in 1972. Durani scalped nine wickets and single-handedly steered his side to a narrow two-wicket win with an unbeaten 83.
He should h ave played more Tests. Gavaskar wrote in his autobiography, ‘Sunny Days’, “…People call him a ‘wayward genius’. I don’t know about his being wayward, but he is certainly ‘a ge nius,”. West Indies got a taste of his g enius a t Port-of-Spain in 1971. Over six feet tall, Durani could make the ball turn and bounce and on a helpful surface could conjure an unplayable del ivery like the one that sneaked through Sobers’ bat and pad and lifted the leg bail. “It was a dream delivery. In an age of television that ball would have been shown ov er and over again. And probably, like the Shane Warne delivery that bowled Mike Gatting round the legs, one would have remembered it much more,” Ajit Wadekar, who captained India in that game, told this reporter in 2006.
Durani’s looks and popularity ultimately earned him a lead part in ‘Charitra’ (1973). Playing a playboy industrialist, he was paired with Parveen Babi in the B R Ishara flop. Speaking to this reporter in 2007, the cricketer also recalled shooting for another film, ‘Akhri Din, Pehli Raat’. “Meena Kumari had written the film’s story. We shot about eight reels. Unfortunately the film was never completed,” said Durani, who was also considered for roles in ‘Pakeezah’ and ‘Sharmilee’.
For many years, he would be seen in Delhi’s Press Club of India enjoying his drink.
Details
Salim Durani, April 3, 2023: The Times of India
HOW I HIT THOSE SIXES!
It was from Vinoo (Mankad) I learnt the graceful art of lifting the ball. How thrilling it was to know Vinoo had lifted Roy Jenkins for a six before lunch on the opening day of the June 1952 Lord’s Test. It was just like him to do so. Even as it was just like me to lift that six off (Norman) Gifford on the final morning of the January 1973 Madras Test.
The moment Gifford came on, Ipulled that six over (Mike) Denness on the mid-wicket boundary. And the test was asgood as won. For good measure, I lifted another six off Gifford – just in case.
However, I must clear up this notion about my hitting a six by ‘public demand. ’ It so happened that a couple of sixes I hit in the 1972-73 series coincided with the public’s demand. Like the six I hit over Derek Underwood on the first evening of the February 1973 Bombay test. It was a ball asked to hit even as the public clamoured for a six, so I banished it for six, that’s all. All my sixes are controlled, calculated and timed to nicety. How many times in Tests have you seen me lift a catch in going for a six? I know I can clear the field. I feel supremely confident when I lift.
( FROM THE ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY, 1979)
B
April 3, 2023: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Sunil Gavaskar had once written that if ever Salim Durani wrote his autobiography, the apt title would be, 'Ask for a Six’.
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 to 1973, or the 1200 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 also won many hearts. A lone hundred, three five-wicket hauls, and a mediocre batting average of 25-plus doesn't 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. Gavaskar's 774 runs on his debut Test series in the West Indies in 1971 was a seminal moment in Indian cricket history, as the country won its first series in the Caribbean.
But would India have been able to win that Test match in Port of Spain if 'Prince Salim' wouldn't have got Clive Lloyd and Sir Garfield Sobers in a single spell as West Indies collapsed in their second innings, leaving visitors with an easy target to chase. Durani's bowling figure of 2/21 in 17 overs often gets drowned under avalanche of runs that Gavaskar and Dilip Sardesai (600 plus) made in the series.
What if Durani hadn't bowled his prodigious "break back" that turned square from outside the off-stump to breach through the bat and pad of a technician par excellence like Sir Gary.
But, for the very next tour of England, he was dumped as the establishment, mainly run by the Mumbai lobby, believed that he didn't have the technique to survive in English conditions.
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.
During his international career of nearly a decade and a half, India went to England thrice (1967, 1971, 1974), Australia once (1967) New Zealand (1967), apart from the West Indies (1962 and 1971).
In fact, Port of Spain was as much dear to Durani as it later became for Gavaskar.
In 1962, a specialist middle-order batter went in at No.3 with the fearsome Wes Hall, the wily Gary Sobers and the great Lance Gibbs asking probing questions. The result was a career-best knock of 104, with India following on.
Why he couldn't make it to any tour of Australia, England and New Zealand is something that remains beyond anyone's comprehension, as some really below average players were picked during those times, when merit often got compromised.
Former Bengal captain Raju Mukherjee, an ardent student of cricket history in his blog had written how Durani made light of his exclusions.
Salim bhai, why didn't they take you to England? People would ask and he would say, "May be it was too cold for me".
But then why didn't they take you to Australia? "May be it was too hot for me".
The pain was there but the sense of humour never left him. In fact, after having scored a half century at his favourite Eden Gardens against England, Durani was dropped for the Kanpur Test, and the Indian team was subjected to booing and posters of "No Salim, No Test" were displayed.
By that time, Durani wasn't bowling much as the great Bishan Bedi was leading the Indian attack, with Bhagwat Chsndrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkatraghavan for company.
He was brought back for the Bombay Test, where he smashed 73 in the first innings with 10 fours and two sixes, and 37 in the second essay. Unfortunately, that turned out to be his last Test, as he wasn't selected for the England tour of 1974.
He continued playing Ranji Trophy for Rajasthan and ended a distinguished first-class career with 8545 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.
If one scans YouTube for highlights that Films Division used to compile in the 1960s and early 70s before the start of a film, one could see footage of Durani's exploits. His was a very economical action and he looked very accurate with a side-on pivot.
His batting was unorthodox and entertaining but fielding was anathema to Durani, which made him fall out of favour with the selectors, who believed he was not hardworking enough.
However, in his 29 Tests, whenever he took wickets or scored fifties, India either won or saved the game.
Born during the British rule on a train that was going to Kabul, his father Abdul Azeez Durani was a professional cricketer and had migrated from Kabul to Jamnagar (Saurashtra), and used to keep wickets in the Pentagular Tournaments in the 1940s.
The Pathan blood in him was what made Durani a gutsy cricketer, who was at ease against Hall's bouncers, and big-hearted when it came to taking care of the junior cricketers.
Gavaskar had narrated an incident in his book, Sunny Days, when they were travelling by train to play a domestic game. It was cold inside the compartment and a cricketer was shivering as he didn't have a blanket.
Durani didn't say a word, but when the boy got up in the morning he saw that he had a blanket even as the senior man cuddled himself in one corner, trying to beat the cold.
"Money is a commodity Salim could never afford," was the word in Indian cricketing circles.
Mukherjee had written that once Durani borrowed money from him during a Moin ud Dowla match in 1976, and shared a drink with him.
"Salim Durani was a free soul without a care for the morrow. Had no inhibition; had no ego. He borrowed money and bought beer and coke to share with the 'creditor'!
"Next day in the most subtle manner possible, he left the exact amount into the man's shirt pocket! I can vouch for the incident because the person happened to be me. At Hyderabad during the Moin-ud-Dowla Trophy way back in 1976," Mukherjee wrote in his blog.
There was a funny incident when Durani got a prank call from a teammate posing as fan who wanted to present him with a tape recorder for his brilliant series winning bowling in the Windies.
Apparently, Durani wore India tie and blazer and came down to the hotel foyer and someone from the back shouted, "So you want tape recorder huh". It was his teammate, Dilip Sardesai.
He looked drop dead gorgeous in the pictures of 1960s and 70s, and acted in a film called Charitra with Parveen Babi, though the movie tanked in the box office. The offer to become a hero in the early 70s was an indicator of his popularity.
In 2018, when Afghanistan played its first Test in Bengaluru, Durani was felicitated by the Indian board for his Afghan roots.
An easy-going person, who never understood how big a player he was, Durani will forever reside as "Shahzada Salim" in the hearts of his fans.
