Abbas Ali Baig
The first Indian to score a hundred (112) on overseas Test debut – against Fred Trueman and Co in 1959 atOld Trafford. At 20 years, 131 days he was also the youngest Indian to achieve the feat. He was also coach ofthe Indian team in 1991-92.
Ajit Wadekar
Captained India to two of their greatest overseas series-wins – over the West Indies and England in 1971. Astylish left-hand batsman and top-class slip fielder, he also served, after his playing days, asselection-committee chairman and team coach.
Ayaz Memon
Former editor of Mid-Day and Cricket Talk magazine and presently national sports editor of The Times of Indiaand editor of Bombay Times.
Bishan Singh Bedi
Bedi’s tally of 1560 first-class wickets is more than that of any Indian bowler. Outspoken during hisplaying days, he remains just as forthright in retirement, both in conversation and in print.
CD Gopinath
He made a promising start with 50 not out and 42 on his Test debut against Brian Statham’s Englishmen, butplayed just eight Tests between 1951-60. He was selection committee chairman between 1972-78 and manager ofthe Indian team to England in 1979.
Clive Lloyd
He was to 1970s West Indies cricket what Frank Worrell was to an earlier generation – a much-loved andwell-respected father-figure who forged a team of superstars into world beaters. Lloyd remains anauthoritative voice in world cricket.
Dilip Sardesai
The Renaissance Man in Indian cricket’s watershed year of 1971, Sardesai scored 642 runs in the Caribbeanand proved an inspiration for the likes of Sunil Gavaskar. He played a pivotal role in the series win overEngland in England the same year.
Dilip Vengsarkar
Ranked among the best batsmen of his time, Vengsarkar has been immortalised for his three hundreds atLord’s. After retiring as India’s second highest run-getter, he established the Elf Cricket Academy.
DJ Rutnagur
Indian-born but long resident in England, "Dicky" Rutnagur is a veteran cricket correspondent who hasreported on over 360 Tests around the world. He covers cricket – and racket sports – for The DailyTelegraph and The Observer.
GS Ramchand
He led India to a memorable 119-run victory against Richie Benaud’s Australians at Kanpur in 1959-60. Agenuine allrounder, his batting average of 80.89 for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy is bettered only by VijayMerchant, Sachin Tendulkar and Rusi Modi.
Gundappa Viswanath
As a batsman, Viswanath’s touch artistry and assurance on bowler-friendly tracks was compare. A symbol offair play, he is now on the ICC’s elite panel of match referees. Also served as chairman of the Indianselectors.
Hanumant Singh
He got a hundred on his Test debut against England in 1964 but played just 13 more Tests despite being amongthe biggest scorers in first-class cricket. He has also been a selector, a coach at the National CricketAcademy and an ICC match-referee.
Harsha Bhogle
Among India’s best-known cricket commentators and writers, Bhogle’s insight, class and commitment havecommanded respect from the greats who share the mike with him, on radio or TV. He is the author of two booksand hosts a chat show, Harsha Online, on ESPN.
Imran Khan
One of the world’s great allrounders and a cerebral, charismatic leader, he moulded Pakistan into aformidable cricketing force. Later relinquished life in the fast lane to get into active social work andpolitics.
John Woodcock
A former editor of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack (1981-86), John Woodcock still writes on cricket for theLondon Times, the newspaper he served as cricket correspondent for many years.
Khalid Ansari
Chairman of the Mid-Day group and a former President of the All India Council of Sports, Ansari has coveredseven Olympics besides three cricket World Cups and various Tests and one-day matches all over the world. Heis a recipient of the Padmashri, for services to journalism and literature.
KN Prabhu
The doyen of Indian cricket journalism – the "Indian Cardus" – he was, in his time, one of the fewIndian journalists to cover overseas tours. Prabhu served for 33 years as sports editor of The Times of India.
Madhav Apte
Though he played first-class cricket for 17 years, his Test career lasted just six months. But he did verywell for himself in that time, finishing with an average of 49.27. An industrialist later in life, Apte playedlocal league cricket well into his 60s.
Madhavrao Scindia
A charismatic politician who wore his royalty and Oxford education lightly, Scindia was obsessed with cricket.It was no surprise when he rose to be the youngest BCCI chief in 1990. He was tragically killed in an aircrash in September 2001.
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi
As captain, he was arguably India’s finest; as a batsman his best came with just one good leg and one goodeye when he scored 75 and 85 at Melbourne in 1967-68. Pataudi is also credited with being the brain behindIndia’s ascendancy in spin.
Mihir Bose
An acclaimed, award-winning correspondent with The Daily Telegraph, Mihir Bose specialises in the arcane worldof sports politics. But he also has a soft spot for cricket in his native India, and has produced severalbooks on the subject.
Mushtaq Ali
A dashing batsman in his time, his 112 in a stand of 203 for the first wicket in the 1936 Manchester Test wasthe first century by an Indian overseas.
Nari Contractor
A courageous opener, he scored 81 in a score of 168 playing with broken ribs against Trueman and Statham inthe 1959 Lord’s Test. But he suffered a tragic injury on the 1962 tour of West Indies which put paid to hiscricketing career.
Nasser Hussain
Widely recognised as England’s finest captain since Mike Brearley, Hussain’s aggressive leadership hasplayed a major role in the current upswing in his country’s cricketing fortunes. His statesman-like presenceon the field has earned him more acclaim than his consistency with the bat.
Polly Umrigar
Arguably Indian cricket’s biggest achiever in the pre-Gavaskar era. His finest moment was when he scored 56and 172* and took 5 for 107 at Trinidad in 1961-62. Umrigar has also served as selection committee chairman,team manager and BCCI executive secretary
Rahul Dravid
Intelligent, unassuming and unaffected by the trappings of his success, Dravid’s status in Indian cricket isnext only to Sachin Tendulkar’s. When the heat is on, especially on overseas tours, it is Dravid who hasconsistently been India’s No 1 bat.
Rajsingh Dungarpur
An articulate administrator, Dungarpur is renowned for his keen sense of cricket history and an abidingpassion for the game. He has been national selection committee chairman and BCCI chief in his time, andremains an influential voice in Indian cricket.
Ravi Shastri
India’s most successful opener after Sunil Gavaskar, Shastri made up for what he lacked in talent with gutsand grit. Now renowned as an incisive and forthright TV commentator.
Richard Hadlee
One of the greatest allrounders ever and the first bowler to get 400 Test wickets. Hadlee’s bowling wasunerringly tight – reflected in his 18.11 average over 1490 first-class wickets.
Richie Benaud
Among the most respected and authoritative voices in cricket broadcasting and one of the great allrounders andcaptains of Australian cricket.
Sambit Bal
Editor of Wisden Asia Cricket, India editor of Wisden.com and former editor of Gentleman magazine.
Sanjay Manjrekar
Known for his technical correctness, Manjrekar was hailed by Waqar Younis as the best batsman in the worldafter a hundred in the West Indies and 569 runs in four Tests in Pakistan. He has since established himself asa TV commentator and columnist.
Srinivas Venkataraghavan
After an international career spanning 19 years, during which he was part of India’s legendary spin quartet,Venkataraghavan now serves with distinction as an ICC umpire. He has also been team captain, manager,selector, state administrator and ICC match referee.
Tim de Lisle
He was the founding editor of Wisden.com and Editor of the Year in 1999 with Wisden Cricket Monthy. He is thepop critic of the Mail on Sunday and cricket columnist for The Independent.
Vijay Hazare
At 87, Hazare is one of the oldest living legends of Indian cricket. He is best remembered for his 116 and 145against Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller at Adelaide in 1947-48. He scored 60 hundreds and averaged over 58 in 32years of first-class cricket.
(source: wisden.com)
Tags