Hyderabad, March 13 -- Syed Abid Ali, the quintessential all-rounder of Indian cricketfrom 1967 to1974, was often described as a lion-hearted player. He passed away on Wednesday, March 12, leaving Hyderabad cricket fans in mourning.

He was one of the hardest working and most committed players of his generation. In every capacity, whether in batting, bowling or fielding, he put in more than one hundred percent effort.

This correspondent had the good fortune of watching him play several times at the Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium in Hyderabad.Back then India was not what it is today. India would often be pulverized by the West Indies, Australiaand England. But Abid Ali was one of the few Indian players who were unafraid of the opposition.He ...