Former all-rounder Salim Durani -- considered the architect of India's maiden Test series triumph over England in 1961-62 -- will be bestowed the BCCI's Col. C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday.
Published: May 27, 2011, 01:41 PM (IST)
Edited: May 27, 2011, 01:41 PM (IST)
Cricketer Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu during the All-India tour of England © Getty Images
New Delhi: May 27, 2011
Former all-rounder Salim Durani — considered the architect of India’s maiden Test series triumph over England in 1961-62 — will be bestowed the BCCI’s Col. C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday.
The 76-year-old player, who played for India in the 1960s and 70s, would be presented the award at the annual BCCI Awards Ceremony. The honour comprises a trophy and a cheque for Rs 15 lakh.
Born in 1934 in Kabul, Afghanistan, Durani was an aggressive left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm spinner.
He was part of India’s first Test series triumph over England, in 1961-62. India won the last two Tests of the five-match series, after the first three were drawn.
Durani had match figures of 8-113 in the fourth Test at Kolkata, and 10-177 in the fifth at Chennai.
A few months later, Durani was one of the heroes of a dismal tour of the Caribbean, with his belligerent 104 in a Test at Port of Spain. It was at the same venue that he helped shape India’s first Test win in the West Indies in 1970-71.
Brought on to bowl at a crucial stage of the second Test, Durani dismissed Garfield Sobers and Clive Lloyd, two of West Indies’ most formidable batsmen, in quick succession.
India won the Test by seven wickets, and maintained their 1-0 lead to take the series.
Two seasons later, Durani’s consistency with the bat, especially in crunch situations, enabled India to achieve another Test series win over England at home.
His proficiency with bat and ball took Central Zone to their first-ever Duleep Trophy win, in 1971-72.
One of the most popular cricketers of his time, who was known to hit a ‘six on demand,’ Durani represented India in a total of 29 Tests, scoring 1,202 runs at an average of 25.
He took 75 wickets, inclusive of three five-wicket hauls.
The previous winners of the C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award are:
1994 Lala Amarnath
1995 Syed Mushtaq Ali
1997 K N Prabhu
1998 P R Umrigar
1999 Col. Hemachandra Adhikari
2000 Subhash Gupte
2001 Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
2002 Bhausaheb Nimbalkar
2003 Chandrakant Borde
2004 B S Bedi, B Chandrasekhar, EAS Prasanna, S Venkataraghvan
2007 Nariman Contractor
2008 Gundappa Viswanath
2009 Mohinder Amarnath.
© PTI
