Abdul Ismail
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Abdul Moosabhoy Ismail (10 August 1945 – 30 May 2025) was an Indian first-class cricketer who later became a selector for the
Mumbai Cricket Association The Mumbai Cricket Association (formerly Bombay Cricket Association) is the governing body for cricket in Mumbai and surrounding regions such as Thane, Navi Mumbai. Its headquarters is situated at Wankhede Stadium in Churchgate. It governs M ...
. Ismail played as a swing bowler for
Bombay cricket team The Mumbai cricket team is a cricket team which represents Mumbai in Indian domestic cricket. It is governed by Mumbai Cricket Association. Its home ground is Wankhede Stadium in Churchgate. The team also plays its home matches at Bandra K ...
from 1969/70 to 1977/78.


Career

A right-arm
fast-medium Fast bowling (also referred to as pace bowling) is a type of bowling in cricket, in which the ball is delivered at high speed. The fastest bowlers bowl the ball at over . Practitioners of fast bowling are known as fast bowlers or quicks. Also i ...
bowler, Ismail played for Bombay between the 1969/70 and 1977/78 seasons. In his first match of the
1971–72 Ranji Trophy The 1971–72 Ranji Trophy was the 38th season of the Ranji Trophy. Bombay won their 14th title in a row defeating Bengal in the final. Highlights *Bengal was captained in the final by former Indian football captain Chuni Goswami Subimal " ...
against Gujarat, Ismail had figures of 3/15 and 6/16, giving his team an innings win within two days. Later that season, Bombay registered a 284-run win in away game against Baroda, with Ismail taking 4/18 and 5/62, with Baroda being bowled out for 42 in their first innings. He finished the 1971/72 season with 56 wickets at an average of 13.98. He found success in the 1975–76 Ranji Trophy in which he finished as the leading wicket-taker with 38 scalps at an average of 16. In the final of that Ranji season against Bihar, he took 5/48 and 5/58, helping his team to a 10-wicket victory. In 2000, Ismail became a member of the
Mumbai Cricket Association The Mumbai Cricket Association (formerly Bombay Cricket Association) is the governing body for cricket in Mumbai and surrounding regions such as Thane, Navi Mumbai. Its headquarters is situated at Wankhede Stadium in Churchgate. It governs M ...
the Ranji and under-22 selection panel. He worked in that position for many years.


Playing style

Ismail was a right-arm fast-medium new ball bowler with a "deceptive action", who could swing the ball both ways. About Ismail's bowling, former Mumbai captain
Milind Rege Milind Rege (16 February 1949 – 19 February 2025) was an Indian first-class cricketer who played for Bombay from 1967–68 to 1977–78. He was the chairman of selectors with the Mumbai Cricket Association. Early life Rege was born in Bomba ...
said, "I found his action very awkward, completely open-chested, something like
Colin Croft Colin Everton Hunte Croft (born 15 March 1953) is a former West Indian international cricketer. He was a member of the squad which won the 1979 Cricket World Cup. Cricket career Croft was (along with Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, and Joel ...
. He had the biggest outswing I have ever seen. He started from around the leg stump and the swing would finish at 1st slip. ..Surely Abdul was a great bowler who should have played many a Test .. According to former India cricketer
Brijesh Patel Brijesh Patel (born 24 November 1952) is a former Indian cricketer who played for the Indian national cricket team as a right-handed batsman from 1974 until 1979. After retirement, he served as the Indian Premier League chairman between 2019 ...
, "Ismail was a very good bowler deceptive with his weird action. With both his swings, he made the batsmen play. Mind you, the quality of balls used was poor those days and it would lose its shine, but Abdul would be at you all the time. He should have played for the country."


Personal life and death

Ismail, son of a taxi driver, was supported to play cricket by a Kerkar family. Ismail said of his early life, "What I am today is because of the Kerkar family. They really took care of me. We had no money. My father was the only earning member and he used to get annoyed seeing me on the ground. Everyday I would go to banks and offices and beg for a job." Ismail's son
Asif Ismail Asif Ismail (born 30 September 1970) is a former tennis player who has the rare distinction of representing two countries in the Davis Cup, first India and later Hong Kong. Career Ismail won the singles title in the national championship in ...
is a tennis player who has appeared in the
Davis Cup The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and contested annually between teams from over 150 competing countries, making it the world's largest annual ...
. Ismail died from a cardiac arrest on 30 May 2025, at the age of 79.Domestic cricket stalwart Abdul Ismail passes away at the age of 79
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References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ismail, Abdul 1945 births 2025 deaths Indian cricketers Mumbai cricketers West Zone cricketers Cricketers from Mumbai