LONDON: Former England batsman Raman Subba Row has died aged 92, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Thursday.

At the time of his death, he was England’s oldest living men’s Test cricketer.

Subba Row played first-class cricket for Cambridge University and then joined the powerful Surrey side of the 1950s that won seven successive County Championships.

Unable to secure a permanent first-team place at The Oval, he moved to Northamptonshire, where he was appointed captain in 1958.

That year also saw Subba Row win the first of his 13 England caps and in 1961 he scored a century in both his first and last Tests against Australia. In all, he scored 984 Test runs at an average of over 46.

After retiring to pursue a business career, he was the manager of England’s tour of India and Sri Lanka in 1981.

Subba Row also served five years as chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board, the forerunner of the ECB, from 1985-90. He later became one of the International Cricket Council’s first match referees, overseeing 160 fixtures.

“We are extremely saddened to hear of Raman’s passing,” said ECB chair Richard Thompson.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2024