Syed Haider Ali, a domestic cricket stalwart, and one of the finest left-arm spinners who never played for India, has passed away after battling prolonged illness.Haider died in Prayagraj on Saturday. He was 79.Having begun his career as a tearaway left-arm quick, Hyder turned to left-arm spin on the insistence of former Railways captain William Ghosh. He would hone his skills on docile tracks around India in the 1960s and 1970s.
Hyder played 113 first-class matches during the course of a 25-year first-class career. These brought him 366 wickets at an impressive average of 19.71. He was also a valuable lower order batter, who made 3125 first-class runs, including three centuries and 10 half-centuries. After retirement in 1987, Hyder continued to play a key role at Railways, overlooking the cricket structure. He also served as selector when Railways won the Ranji Trophy in 2001-02 and 2004-05.
