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Former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Saeed Ahmed died in Lahore at the age of 86 after a brief illness. Saeed, who played 41 Test matches between 1958 and 1973, captained the team briefly, for three drawn Test matches against England in 1969, replacing Hanif Mohammad. He scored 2991 Tests, including five Test centuries, three of which came against India. A capable spinner, he also took 22 Test wickets.
Saeed was born in Jalandhar in 1937 in what was then British India, now part of Indian Punjab. He made his debut at the age of 20 against the West Indies in the famous drawn Test at Bridgetown, where Hanif Mohammad batted for 970 minutes to score 337. Saeed formed a 154-run partnership with Mohammad for the third wicket, scoring 65 as West . The Indies bowled 319 overs before the game was finally called off.
He quickly became known for his grace and easy power, especially when driving the ball, and instantly showed that he belonged at the highest level. He finished his career with a batting average of 40.01, almost identical to his first-class average of 40.02. He later scored his first of five Test hundreds (150) at Georgetown against an attack that included Roy Gilchrist, Lance Gibbs and Garry Sobers, although the West Indies won that Test by eight wickets. Pakistan has never won a Test in which he scored a hundred, although playing in the least prolific period of Pakistan’s Test history may have been a factor there.
He was a staple in the Pakistan team for most of his career, although it ended ignominiously. After having a dispute with Dennis Lillee on Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 1972, he ruled himself out of the third Test citing a back injury. The board believed he was faking and sent him home for disciplinary action; He would never play for Pakistan again.
“The PCB is saddened by the demise of one of our former Test captains and extends its deepest condolences to the family of Saeed Ahmed,” said PCB president Mohsin Naqvi. “He served Pakistan with all his heart and the PCB honors his record and his services to the Test team.”
After retiring, Saeed walked away from cricket and never worked in the sport again. He lived alone in Lahore for several years, leading a solitary life with few friends or family for company, while his deteriorating health required repeated visits to the hospital. He was taken to the hospital at noon Wednesday, where he died shortly after.
He is survived by two children, a daughter and his half-brother Younis Ahmed, who played four Tests for Pakistan.
