Salim Durani

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Salim Durani

| country = India

| fullname = Salim Durani

| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|12|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place = near Khyber Pass,{{efn|name=fn1|While cricket reference books and websites list Durani's birth place at Kabul, Durani stated in interviews that his birthplace is near Khyber Pass.}} Afghanistan{{cite news|last1=Ezekiel|first1=Gulu|authorlink1=Gulu Ezekiel|title=Afghan cricket: The Indian connection|url=http://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/afghan-cricket-the-indian-connection/20170627.htm|access-date=26 July 2017|work=Rediff.com|date=27 June 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Rajamani|first1=RC|title=Bowled over by Durrani|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/Bowled-over-by-Durrani/article20253498.ece|work=The Hindu Business Line|date=8 June 2011}}{{cite news|last1=Magazine|first1=Pradeep|title=Salim Durani Was a Heartthrob of Millions of Cricket Fans in an Era With No TV|url=https://thewire.in/sport/salim-durani-was-a-heartthrob-of-millions-of-cricket-fans-in-an-era-with-no-tv|work=The Wire|date=2 April 2023}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|04|02|1934|12|11|df=yes}}

| death_place = Jamnagar, Gujarat, India[https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/salim-durani-former-india-all-rounder-dies-bcci/article66690658.ece Former India cricketer Salim Durani passes away aged 88]

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Slow left-arm orthodox

| role = All-rounder

| family = Abdul Aziz Durrani (father)

| international = true

| internationalspan = 1960–1973

| testdebutdate = 1 January

| testdebutyear = 1960

| testdebutagainst = Australia

| lasttestdate = 6 February

| lasttestyear = 1973

| lasttestagainst = England

| testcap = 95

| club1 = Saurashtra

| year1 = 1953

| club2 = Gujarat

| year2 = 1954–1956

| club3 = Rajasthan

| year3 = 1956–1978

| columns = 2

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 29

| runs1 = 1,202

| bat avg1 = 25.04

| 100s/50s1 = 1/7

| top score1 = 104

| deliveries1 = 6,446

| wickets1 = 74

| bowl avg1 = 35.42

| fivefor1 = 3

| tenfor1 = 1

| best bowling1 = 6/73

| catches/stumpings1= 14/–

| column2 = First-class

| matches2 = 170

| runs2 = 8,545

| bat avg2 = 33.37

| 100s/50s2 = 14/45

| top score2 = 137*

| deliveries2 = 28,130

| wickets2 = 484

| bowl avg2 = 26.09

| fivefor2 = 21

| tenfor2 = 2

| best bowling2 = 8/99

| catches/stumpings2= 144/4

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/salim-durani-28118 Cricinfo

| date = 12 June

| year = 2013

}}

Salim Durani ({{langx|ps|سليم عزيز دراني}}; {{audio|Salim_Durani.ogg|pronunciation}}; 11 December 1934 – 2 April 2023) was an Afghan-born Indian cricketer who played in 29 Test matches from 1960 to 1973. An all-rounder, Durani was a slow left-arm orthodox bowler and a left-handed batsman famous for his six-hitting prowess. He was the only Indian Test cricketer to have been born in Afghanistan.{{cite web |url=http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/cricket/testntlt.html |title=Nationalities of Test Cricketers |access-date=2007-01-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125070521/http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/cricket/testntlt.html |archive-date=25 January 2007 }} He was the first cricketer to win an Arjuna Award. In 2011, he was awarded the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour bestowed by the Indian cricket board on a former player.

Early life

Salim Durani was born in a Pashtun family in Afghanistan.{{Cite news |date=2023-04-02 |title=Salim Durani: Big-hearted Afghan who played for love of game |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/salim-durani-big-hearted-afghan-who-played-for-love-of-game/article66690933.ece |access-date=2023-04-27 |issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite news |last=Rajghatta |first=Chidanand |date=20 August 2021 |title=Salim Durrani, cricket, and the monumental clusterf**k in Kabul |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/ruminations/salim-durrani-cricket-and-the-monumental-clusterfuck-in-kabul/ |access-date=2023-04-27 |issn=0971-8257}} His father Abdul Aziz Durani was a professional cricketer. Impressed by his wicket-keeping and batting performances for Nawanagar in their tour of Karachi in 1935, Abdul Aziz was offered a job as a sub-inspector by the then Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, which was when the Durani family settled in Jamnagar.{{cite news |last1=Bezbaruah |first1=Ajit |date=1 June 2011 |title=Durani, an enigma mired in controversy |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/india-in-australia/top-stories/Durani-an-enigma-mired-in-controversy/articleshow/8670437.cms |accessdate=25 July 2017}} After India's partition in 1947, Aziz moved to Pakistan, while his family stayed in Jamnagar. Future Pakistan national cricketer Hanif Mohammad was Aziz's student there.{{cite book |last1=Oborne |first1=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EXXGBwAAQBAJ |title=Wounded Tiger: A History of Cricket in Pakistan |date=2015 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=9781849832489 |page=147 |authorlink1=Peter Oborne |accessdate=25 July 2017}}{{cite news |date=8 June 2017 |title=Obituary: Hanif Mohammed |work=Wisden |url=http://www.wisdenindia.com/wisden-india-almanack-2017/obituary-hanif-mohammed/256699 |url-status=dead |accessdate=25 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810220714/http://www.wisdenindia.com/wisden-india-almanack-2017/obituary-hanif-mohammed/256699 |archive-date=10 August 2017}}

Salim Durani left Kabul along with his parents when he was three years old.{{Cite news |last=Dinakar |first=S. |date=2018-06-14 |title=They play from their heart: Salim Durrani on Afghanistan cricket team |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/they-play-from-their-heart-salim-durrani-on-afghanistan-cricket-team/article24165855.ece |access-date=2023-04-27 |issn=0971-751X}}

Cricket career

Durani was the hero of India's series victory against England in 1961–62. He took 8 and 10 wickets in their wins at Kolkata and Chennai, respectively. Also, a decade later, he would be instrumental in India's maiden victoryThe Hindu, 6 May 2020, Kozhikode Edition, p. 14 against the West Indies at Port of Spain, taking the wickets of Clive Lloyd and Gary Sobers.{{cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/517352.html| title = India news: Sachin Tendulkar, Salim Durani honoured at BCCI awards}}

In his 50 Test innings, he made just one century, 104 against the West Indies in 1962. He played for Gujarat, Rajasthan and Saurashtra in first-class cricket. He made 14 hundreds in first-class cricket and managed 8,545 runs at 33.37. Durani had a special rapport with the spectators, who once agitated when he was dropped from the team for the Kanpur Test in 1973, turned up with placards and slogans such as, "No Durani, no test!"

As the only Afghanistan-born Indian test cricketer, he was present during the historic India vs Afghanistan test match on 14 June 2018.{{Cite web|last=Team|first=DNA Web|date=2018-06-14|title=Kabul-born Indian cricketer present during toss of historic India vs Afghanistan Test|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/cricket/report-kabul-born-indian-cricketer-present-during-toss-of-historic-india-vs-afghanistan-test-2625233|access-date=2021-06-15|website=Daily News and Analysis|language=en}}

Film career

Durani appeared in the film Charitra with Parveen Babi in 1973.Parveen Babi He was the first cricketer to win an Arjuna Award. He was awarded the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI in 2011.{{cite news |date=27 May 2011 |title=C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for Durani |newspaper=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article2054130.ece |url-status=dead |accessdate=27 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528210635/https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article2054130.ece |archive-date=28 May 2011}}

Death

Salim Durani died from cancer on 2 April 2023, at the age of 88. He was living with his brother, Jahangir Durani, in Gujarat's Jamnagar and had undergone surgery for a thigh bone fracture earlier in the year.{{cite news|url=https://english.niharikatimes.com/former-indian-cricketer-salim-durani-passes-away-at-88/ |title=Former Indian cricketer Salim Durani passes away at 88 |date=2 April 2023 }}{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/news/indian-cricket-great-salim-durani-dies-at-88/articleshow/99182661.cms|title=Indian cricket great Salim Durani dies at 88 |newspaper=The Times of India |date=2 April 2023 }}

It was observed on numerous occasions, that Salim Durrani would hit a six on the demand of the audience in the cricket field. People also called him a romantic hero. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi expressed grief over his death.{{cite news|url=https://www.yugantarpravah.com/news/indian-cricketer-salim-durani-passes-away-people-used-to-call-him-romantic-hero-730747-02-04-2023|title=Salim Durani Passes Away: Salim Durrani, the romantic cricketer who hit a six on the demand of the audience, passed away.|newspaper=Yugantar Pravah|date=2 April 2023 }}