India’s oldest Test cricketer passes away

Nov 13: KC Ibrahim had also the honour of captaining Mumbai Ranji team

Khan Mohammed Cassumbhoy Ibrahim (KC IBRAHIM) India’s oldest Test cricketer died at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness here on Monday. Ibrahim played for India against the touring West Indies in 1948-49 at home. He played only four Tests and also opened the innings with Vinoo Mankad.

He scored 85 and 44 in his debut Test, but in the subsequent six innings he could only be able to make 40 runs and after that he got retired and shifted his base to Karachi by the time England toured in 1951-52.

According to Karachi City Cricket Association secretary, Siraj-ul-Islam Bukhari, Ibrahim ran his own business in Karachi.

“He was out of touch with cricket for some years but, in the 1960s and 1970s, he used to come regularly to watch matches,” Bukhari said.

He captained the Mumbai side that won the Ranji Trophy in 1947-48 and scored 1,171 runs for Mumbai in the year 1947-48 including four hundreds, which created a record and won him the Indian Cricketer of the Year Award for that season.

Ibrahim, a top-order batsman, made his first-class debut in 1938-39 and from 1941-42 onwards profoundly scored in domestic cricket. He started off that season with an unbeaten double century (230 n.o.) and ended up with a fine ton (117) in Bombay's innings victory in the Ranji Trophy final.