Former Mumbai pacer Abdul Ismail passes away

Abdul Ismail, a domestic cricket stalwart who earned the title of ‘Sultan of Swing’ due to his exploits for Mumbai (then Bombay), passed away due to a cardiac arrest in Mumbai on Friday. He was 79.

In a First Class career spanning a decade since 1969, Ismail was the leader of Mumbai’s pace pack in the 1970s. He scalped 244 wickets at an average of 18.08 in 75 First Class appearances. Besides being a member of multiple Duleep Trophy triumphs for West Zone, Ismail was a key architect of Mumbai’s five Ranji titles.

According to old-timers, Ismail is one of the leading names of cricketers who remained unfortunate to have missed out on an India cap. Along with Karsan Ghavri and Eknath Solkar, Ismail formed the famed Mumbai pace triumvirate that complimented Padmakar Shivalkar’s left-arm spin in the 1970s.

In January, he was felicitated by the Mumbai Cricket Association to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Wankhede Stadium. Ismail featured in the first game at the Wankhede.

Incidentally, Ismail – son of a taxi driver who went on to force batters into false drives – made his debut and the final First Class appearance in the Irani Cup. Following his retirement, besides being involved in coaching, he also served as a Mumbai selector across age-groups and the Ranji Trophy.