Billy Ibadulla

{{Short description|Pakistani-New Zealand cricketer (1935–2024)}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Billy Ibadulla

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MNZM|size=100%}}

| country = Pakistan

| fullname = Khalid Ibadulla

| nickname = Billy

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|12|20|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Lahore, Punjab Province, British India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|07|12|1935|12|20|df=yes}}

| death_place = Dunedin, New Zealand

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = {{ubl|Right-arm off break|Right-arm medium}}

| role =

| international = true

| internationalspan = 1964–1967

| testdebutdate = 24 October

| testdebutyear = 1964

| testdebutagainst = Australia

| testcap = 43

| lasttestdate = 10 August

| lasttestyear = 1967

| lasttestagainst = England

| family = Kassem Ibadulla (son)

| club4 = Tasmania

| year4 = 1970/71–1971/72

| club3 = Otago

| year3 = {{nowrap|1964/65–1966/67}}

| club2 = Warwickshire

| year2 = 1954–1972

| club1 = Punjab

| year1 = 1953/54

| columns = 3

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 4

| runs1 = 253

| bat avg1 = 31.62

| 100s/50s1 = 1/0

| top score1 = 166

| deliveries1 = 336

| wickets1 = 1

| bowl avg1 = 99.00

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 1/42

| catches/stumpings1 = 3/–

| column2 = FC

| matches2 = 417

| runs2 = 17,078

| bat avg2 = 27.28

| 100s/50s2 = 22/82

| top score2 = 171

| deliveries2 = 36,157

| wickets2 = 462

| bowl avg2 = 30.96

| fivefor2 = 6

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 7/22

| catches/stumpings2 = 14/–

| column3 = LA

| matches3 = 64

| runs3 = 829

| bat avg3 = 16.91

| 100s/50s3 = 0/2

| top score3 = 75

| deliveries3 = 3,133

| wickets3 = 84

| bowl avg3 = 23.86

| fivefor3 = 2

| tenfor3 = 0

| best bowling3 = 6/32

| catches/stumpings3 = 13/–

| date = 13 October

| year = 2011

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/41039.html ESPNcricinfo

}}

Khalid "Billy" Ibadulla {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MNZM|size=85%}} (20 December 1935 – 12 July 2024) was a Pakistani-New Zealander cricketer, cricket coach and umpire who later worked as a cricket commentator for TVNZ.{{cite web |last=Morris |first=Chris |date=25 November 2008 |title=Mayor sorry for slogan, blames media |url=http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/33233/mayor-sorry-slogan-blames-media |website=Otago Daily Times |location=Dunedin |access-date=24 November 2008}} He represented Pakistan four times at Test match level between 1964 and 1967, and was the first Pakistani to play in the County Championship.{{cite news |author= |date=9 Aug 2024 |title=Khalid "Billy" Ibadulla |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/khalid-billy-ibadulla-obituary-first-pakistani-to-play-in-county-cricket-vdjds5tmz |url-access=subscription |newspaper=The Times |location=London |issue=74483 |page=52 |access-date=9 August 2024}}

Khalid Ibadulla was born in Lahore, the youngest of six children. His father, Masood, had been a noted hockey player. He was introduced to cricket at the Lahore Gymkhana Club by his elder brother, and was attracted by the aesthetic beauty of the game. At Mozang High School, he was coached by former first-class wicket-keeper Nissar Ahmed.{{cite web |last=Seconi |first=Adrian |date=3 August 2024 |title=Obituary: A great innings from Ibadulla |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/cricket/obituary-great-innings-ibadulla |website=Otago Daily Times |location=Dunedin |access-date=11 August 2024}}

First-class career

After a few matches in Pakistan, where he made his first-class debut at the age of 16,{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20101.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com}} Ibadulla played most of his cricket as a professional for Warwickshire County Cricket Club in England. He played for the side "with much distinction and no little charm" between 1954 and 1972,{{cite book |last=Walker |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Walker (cricketer, born 1936) |date=1979 |title=Cricket Conversations |location=London |publisher=Pelham Books |isbn=0720710472 |page=144}} mostly as an opening batsman, and made over 400 top-level appearances for the county. He made 1,000 runs in a County Championship season six times, with a highest tally of 2,098 runs in 1962. His top score of 171 was made against Oxford University in 1961.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1238/1238.html Billy Ibadulla], CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 July 2024. {{subscription}} He was also a useful and economical medium-pace change bowler, with best figures of 7 for 22 against Derbyshire at Chesterfield in 1967.{{cite book |last1=Martin-Jenkins |first1=Christopher |author-link1=Christopher Martin-Jenkins |last2=Coldham |first2=James |name-list-style=amp |date=1983 |chapter=Khalid Ibadulla |title=The Complete Who's Who of Test Cricketers |location=London |publisher=Orbis Publishing |isbn=0856134872 |page=466}} In the first four seasons of the Gillette Cup, he took more wickets than any other Warwickshire bowler, and had the best economy rate.{{cite book |contributor-last=Smith |contributor-first=M. J. K. |contributor-link=M. J. K. Smith |last=Bannister |first=Jack |author-link=Jack Bannister |date=1990 |contribution=A Personal View |title=The History of Warwickshire County Cricket Club |location=London |publisher=Christopher Helm |isbn=0747002177 |page=7}}

On a flat Oval pitch in 1960 Ibadulla scored an unbeaten 170 for Warwickshire against Surrey, and put on 377 with Norman Horner for the first wicket on the first day, then the highest unbroken opening partnership in cricket history. He played for Otago from 1964–65 to 1966–67, and moved to New Zealand in 1976,{{cite web |last=Seconi |first=Adrian |date=17 January 2009 |title=Billy Ibadulla: straight-talking cricket mentor |url=http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/dunedin/39829/billy-ibadulla-straight-talking-cricket-mentor |website=Otago Daily Times |location=Dunedin |access-date=18 January 2009}} living in Dunedin and working as a cricket coach.

Test career

Although he had not played domestic first-class cricket in Pakistan for more than 10 years, Ibadulla was selected to play in the single Test against the visiting Australians in Karachi in October 1964. Opening the batting, he became the first Pakistan player to score a century on debut, before being dismissed at stumps for 166 after five and a half hours.Pakistan v Australia, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1965. ([https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152845.html Available online] at CricInfo. Retrieved 14 July 2024.) The opening partnership of 249 with Abdul Kadir (95) is the highest in Test cricket for any wicket to involve two Test debutants{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/626584.html|title=Debut stands, Patto's improvement|date=26 March 2013|website=Cricinfo}} and set a new record for Pakistan's highest Test match opening wicket partnership.

He declined an invitation to go on the subsequent tours of Australia and New Zealand, as the Pakistan authorities were unable to offer him the professional rates he was accustomed to,{{cite book |last=Noman |first=Omar |date=1998 |title=Pride and Passion: An Exhilarating Half Century of Cricket in Pakistan |location=Karachi |publisher=OUP |page=117}} and he {{cspan|spent the time playing for Otago|date=July 2024}} and coaching. He made 43 and 102 not out and took four wickets for Otago when they played the Pakistanis,{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/27/27243.html|title=Otago v Pakistanis|website=cricketarchive.com}} and was later called up by Pakistan for the {{cspan|third Test, making 28 and 9|date=July 2024}}.

He was also called into the Pakistan side for two Tests during their 1967 tour of England after dismissing the captain, Hanif Mohammad, for a duck while playing for Warwickshire against the touring side.Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1968, p. 321. He made only 47 runs in four innings and took one wicket in the first two Tests, and was not selected in the Test team again.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

Ibadulla holds the record of playing most first-class games (217) before making a Test debut for Pakistan.{{Cite web|last=Halgekar|first=Chaitanya|date=2017-08-05|title=5 players who made their Test debut after a long wait|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/5-players-who-made-test-debut-after-a-long-wait|access-date=2021-05-07|website=www.sportskeeda.com|language=en-us}}

Later career

Ibadulla coached some of New Zealand's top cricketers, including Glenn Turner, Ken Rutherford and Chris Cairns. He also taught briefly at St Dunstan's College in London, as a Physical Education teacher in the early 1970s.{{cn|date=July 2024}} He was member of the BBC Radio commentary team for Test Match Special when Pakistan toured England in 1974.{{cite book |last=Martin-Jenkins |first=Christopher |date=1990 |title=Ball by Ball: The Story of Cricket Broadcasting |location=London |publisher=Grafton Books |isbn=0246135689 |page=188}}{{cite book |last=Baxter |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baxter (radio producer) |editor-last=Johnson |editor-first=Brian |editor-link=Brian Johnston |date=1975 |chapter=Radio Production|title=Armchair Cricket 1975 |location=London |publisher=BBC |isbn=0563128321 |pages=24–28}}

He umpired first-class cricket in England in 1982 and 1983.{{cite web |last=Culley |first=Jon |date=29 August 1994 |title=Where are they now?: Billy Ibadulla |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/where-are-they-now-billy-ibadulla-1379564.html |website=The Independent |location=London}}

In the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours, Ibadulla was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to cricket.{{cite web |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2004 |title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2004 |date=7 June 2004 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |accessdate=30 May 2020}}

Ibadulla was the subject of a long-running error in the Wisden records section. He was out handled the ball at Courtaulds, Coventry in 1963 when playing for Warwickshire against Hampshire{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/26/26006.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com}} and not obstructing the field as reported in the 1964 Wisden's report of the gameWisden 1964, p. 588. {{cspan|and then repeated in the records section from 1967 until 2010|date=July 2024}}.

Personal life

Ibadulla, a Christian,{{cite web|url=http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2011/12/christian-sportsmen-who-represented-pakistan/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524200458/http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2011/12/christian-sportsmen-who-represented-pakistan/|archivedate=24 May 2019|title=Christian Sportsmen who Represented Pakistan|publisher=The News Blog|date=28 December 2011}} met his German-born wife, Gertrud Delfs, in Birmingham, where they married 1959.{{cite web |url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?scan=1&r=220439642:4777&d=bmd_1672866285 |title=Marriages Dec 1959 Birmingham |website=FreeBMD |access-date=3 February 2023}} They had two daughters and a son, Kassem.

In the 1993 general election, he stood in the Dunedin West electorate for the New Zealand First party, and came fourth out of six candidates.{{cite tech report |ref={{sfnref|Election results|1993}} |title=Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place |publisher=New Zealand Chief Electoral Office |year=1993 |pages=18}} He died in Dunedin on 12 July 2024, at the age of 88.{{cite web |title=Player Profile: Billy Ibadulla |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/billy-ibadulla-41039 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=13 July 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Collis |first1=Mat |title=Billy Ibadulla 1935 – 2024 |url=https://edgbaston.com/news/billy-ibadulla-1935-2024/ |website=Warwickshire CCC |access-date=12 July 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.legacy.com/nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/name/khalid-ibadulla-obituary?id=55645001 |title=Khalid Ibadulla obituary |date=20 July 2024 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=21 July 2024}}