Ghulam Ahmed – a cricketer and an administrator par excellence

Hyderabad: Come July 4, Hyderabad will be celebrating the centenary year of Ghulam Ahmed, one of the city’s favourite sons. He was a cricketer and administrator par excellence. Born July 4, 1922, he was an off-spinner of world class. The tall spinner was a master of subtle flight and variation. He played in four unofficial Tests and 20 official Tests, having made his Test debut against the West Indies at Calcutta in 1948.

Having made a mark as an off-spinner while at school, he represented Madarsa-I-Aliya and later for Nizam College. He made his first class debut in 1939 against the ten Madras and then never looked back. He went from strength to strength and eventually led India in Tests.

This he did against New Zealand in the Test played on his home ground in Hyderabad.

It is said that when Ghulam was in his prime, he was ignored by the selectors. He should have been on board for the Indian Team’s tour to England in 1946 and later to Australia in 1947-48. He eventually made it to England on the 1952 tour and later went to Australia in 1967-68, but in the capacity of manager.

With Vinoo Mankad and later with Subhash Gupte, Ghulam formed a formidable trio of spinners for India. It was the combination of Mankad and Ghulam that played a pivotal role in India winning its first ever Test, played at Madras against England in 1952.

He somehow ended his cricketing career in a controversial manner. He resigned from captaincy of Indian team and the same year he also relinquished the Hyderabad captaincy. He also announced his retirement from first class cricket. Though he was selected to tour with the Indian team in 1959, Ghulam stuck to his guns and refused to go.

After retiring from the game, Ghulam became administrator and became the secretary of Hyderabad Cricket Association in 1959, a post that he held till 1976. Under his efforts and stewardship the game flourished and progressed. The Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament, which had become a local affair, was revived as an All India Tournament in all its past glory.

The tournament became very popular and was an important event in the cricketing calendar of the Country. The cream of Indian cricket would participate, playing for one team or the other.

Ghulam went on two tours as the manager of the Indian Team – to the West Indies and then to Australia. On the West Indies Tour, his first assignment, he had a tough time when Nari Contractor, the India captain was badly injured to a delivery from Charlie Griffith. The attention that Ghulam gave to Nari during that critical time, won him many laurels from one and all.

He also had two stints as a National Selector. During his second tenure, as chairman of the selectors, he had the satisfaction of selecting the Indian team that won the Prudential World Cup in 1983.

Continuing his administrative exploits, Ghulam first became the Joint Secretary and later took over as Secretary of the BCCI. Under him as Secretary of BCCI, Indian cricket flourished. Every cricket playing nation then had played a series in India and the Indian team had also visited them. BCCI’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations were held under his regime. He later became the Vice-President but retired soon after when he found that the affairs in BCCI “were not cricket” anymore.

A thorough gentleman on and off the field, his pleasing personality was a classic example of what this great game of cricket teaches and preaches.