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| November 08, 2006 | Wednesday | Shawwal 15, 1427 |
Indian great Umrigar dies
MUMBAI, Nov 7: Polly Umrigar, one of India's greatest cricketers, died here on Tuesday aged 80 after a long battle with cancer, the Press Trust of India said.
Umrigar was suffering from lymphatic cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy at a local hospital after the cancer spread through the chest and abdomen.
He died at his Mumbai home and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
The burly Umrigar, a hard-hitting batsman and off-spinner, played 59 Tests between 1948 and 1962, scoring 3,631 runs at an average of 42.22 with 12 centuries.
He led India in eight Tests, winning two and losing two with four draws, before stepping down against the West Indies in Madras (now Chennai) in 1959 after a misunderstanding with the selectors.
Umrigar had played more Tests, scored most runs and centuries than any other Indian when he retired in 1962. His records stood till 1978 when legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar overtook him.
After retirement, Umrigar served Indian cricket as chairman of the selection committee, Team India manager, executive secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and chief curator of the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.—AFP
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