'I could not believe that such a great player could be so friendly. He was like a father figure to all of us.'
Syed Abid Ali, who passed away on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, has left the cricket fraternity in the UAE saddened.
He coached the UAE team between 2002 and 2005, and many were in awe when they got the chance to meet and interact with him.
Having played a role in many glorious moments of Indian cricket, speaking with him regularly was a special experience.
During his tenure as coach, he participated in friendly matches whenever they were organized for UAE journalists.
I also had the opportunity to face his bowling, though he was no longer as fast as he used to be in his prime.
On another occasion, I had the privilege of batting alongside him.
After the match, I remember telling him that I could now proudly proclaim that I had played with a legendary Test player.
His humble response was, "I can say that I have played with someone who has watched more international matches than I have played."
That remark touched me, and everyone who has come across him will vouch for his humility.
I was thrilled when the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) decided to appoint him as the UAE team coach.
Mazhar Khan, who was the administrator of the ECB then, had informed me that he was trying to get Abid Ali on board to succeed Mushtaq Mohammad as the UAE team's coach.
Khan, who, like Ali, hailed from Hyderabad, travelled there to meet him. To everyone's delight, Ali agreed to take up the role.
His arrival at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium was met with admiration, and many were taken aback by his humble and friendly nature.
Former UAE captain Khurram Khan recalls, "I could not believe that such a great player could be so friendly. He was like a father figure to all of us. Never once was he dictatorial as a coach; instead, he always asked for suggestions."
During those days, most UAE cricketers were part-time players who attended work before coming in for training.
Khurram recalls a valuable piece of advice Ali gave the senior players: "As senior players, try to come and train every day. You are like magnets -- if youngsters see you training regularly, they will feel motivated to come and play every day."
Khurram fondly remembers the enjoyable evenings after training with him and C Sudhakar, the UAE team physiotherapist, who also hailed from Hyderabad, like Ali.
"As soon as I heard the sad news, I called Sudhakar, who now lives in India. We mourned his passing. I pray for Abid Ali to have a place in Jannat, and we will always pray for him," said Khurram, who had captained the UAE under Ali in the 2004 Asia Cup.
Interestingly, in one of my interviews with Ali, he had remarked that Khurram was so talented that he should have played for Pakistan.
Mazhar Khan also shared his thoughts on Ali, saying, "He was a humble man, down-to-earth, yet strong in expressing his views without making anyone uncomfortable. He was a no-nonsense man. The three years he spent here were a learning experience for everyone."
Ali had a special way of interacting with people.
"He was soft-spoken and a true gentleman. Having come up the hard way, he was always caring toward others," Mazhar added.
Mazhar also highlighted Ali's contributions as a coach.
"He played a key role in the development of junior cricket in the UAE. He put his heart and soul into everything he did."
In one of my interviews with Ali, published in Gulf News, he emphasised the importance of coaching fundamentals: "Cricket academies in the UAE must focus on teaching the correct basics to young players. Some of these boys are immensely talented but must be trained with the right foundation. After all, these basics play a crucial role in shaping any young cricketer's future."
I had also had the privilege of driving him to matches or simply sitting with him on the stadium lawns.
Those were the moments when I would ask him about his memories, such as how he felt hitting that winning shot at The Oval against England in 1971.
He once told me, "Farokh Engineer did all the hard work, scoring an unbeaten 28. I came in, hit the winning boundary for just four runs, and suddenly, the spectators carried me on their shoulders to the pavilion."
His laughter after recounting that story is still etched in my memory.
I also recall discussing his six-wicket debut spell against Australia. Instead of talking about his bowling, he spoke more about the qualities of batsmen like Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry, who were among his victims.
It was an honour to report his speech at the Millennium School in Dubai.
Here's the link to that report: Never give up till the end, says Abid Ali (external link).
In that speech, he spoke about his struggles: "We were six siblings, and I had to start working early to support my brothers. I would wake up early to exercise, work in the office in the morning, practice cricket in the afternoon, and attend my graduation classes in the evening."
Ali was one of India's fittest cricketers.
A remark from his speech has stayed with me since then: "It is important to be physically fit. If you are fit, execution of any act and decision-making becomes easy."
I have quoted this in many of my speeches. Senior players who were guided by him, like Khurram Khan, have followed this advice and remain as fit today as they were during their playing days.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com