Abdul Azeem, former Hyderabad cricketer and one of the finest openers in the domestic circuit, passed away here on Tuesday. He was on dialysis for quite some time. He was 62 and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Widely acknowledged as one of those early batters in the 80s and 90s who redefined the attitude of an opener with blazing knocks akin to the T20 innings of the contemporary era, Azeem had to his credit a triple century against Tamil Nadu in the 1986 Ranji season.
A gentleman cricketer who never compromised with the rules of the game and off the field as was evident when he once quit the HCA selector’s post when he felt the procedures were not being followed in picking the State squads.
Azeem was always an affable character, giving a lot of fun moments to his friends and fellow cricketers and was also the coach of the Hyderabad Ranji team with Noel David as his deputy.
In a career spanning 73 first-class games between 1980-95, the dashing opener scored 12 centuries and 18 fifties.
Former BCCI president N. Shivlal Yadav told Sportstar that it was a terrible loss to him personally.
“Azeem was such a brilliant cricketer who never got his due at the highest level. A very sincere player who always played for the team’s cause. It is a huge loss to Hyderabad cricket,” he said.
Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin, former Test stars Arshad Ayub, former HCA secretaries Seshadri Venkateshwaran, K. John Manoj and ex-Ranji cricketer and Azeem’s teammate Vanka Pratap also expressed shock even while recalling Azeem’s contribution to cricket.
In figures: Abdul Azeem: 73 first-class matches, 4644 runs, 43.40 avg, 12x100 and 18x50s, HS 303*
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