Abdulla Ismail (standing third from left) with the 1971-72 Bombay team which won the Ranji Trophy. Gopal Bhat for Sportsweek magazine
It is rare for an India fast bowler to claim close to 200 wickets for his state team and not play for the country. Abdulla Moosa Ismail was one such domestic cricket toiler.
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Ismail turns 75 today and the Oshiwara-based former Mumbai pacer looks back at his highs and lows without making too much of a fuss over them. That's how he played his cricket. For example, he won't talk extensively about the two England tours (1971 and 1974) he should have been on.
"Central Bank of India (whom Ismail worked for) had a felicitation for the 1971 team which won in the West Indies. It was at this function where Dilip Sardesai said to me, 'You are coming with us to England.' I thought he was joking, but he wasn't," Ismail told mid-day on Sunday.
Pace bowler Ismail gets a massage from Mumbai team's masseur Mac Edekar in the 1970s. Pic/mid-day archives
Ismail was known to bowl a mean outswinger and Kailash Gattani, another fast bowler, who claimed a large number of first-class wickets (396) without earning an India cap, recalled on Sunday how Ismail could bowl a delivery which swung into the batsman while in the air only to go the other way off the pitch.
Ismail's best match figures of 11 for 102 were achieved in the same game in which he claimed 7 for 59, a spell that helped Mumbai demolish Saurashtra at Rajkot in December 1972. And Sunil Gavaskar in Sunny Days wrote about how Ismail defied BS Chandrasekhar and EAS Prasanna for a while and swung Prasanna for a six over mid-on in the 1974-75 Ranji Trophy final, which Mumbai won by seven wickets. No. 10 Ismail scored 23 before being stumped by Syed Kirmani as Gavaskar stayed unbeaten on 96 with last man Padmakar Shivalkar dismissed for a duck.
Ismail took his batting seriously and recalled getting a half-century for 'F' division club, Baronet in the 1966 edition of the Kanga League. "I was playing red-ball cricket for the first time and scored a 50. I didn't know I had to raise my bat to my teammates in the tent on completing my half-century. I also headed to the wrong tent when the innings was completed. I only realised my mistake when someone from my team shouted, 'Miya, our tent is here."
Abdulla Moosa Ismail in 1972
Ismail also recalled how he misread the fixture book and arrived at Shivaji Park for his game instead of Azad Maidan that day. But he was early enough to make it to the right venue despite the distance. Apart from Baronet, Ismail represented clubs like Young Maharashtra, National CC, Shivaj Park Gymkhana and the Cricket Club of India.
Ismail's last season for Mumbai (debut in 1969-70) was the horrendous one in which the domestic giants failed to qualify for the Ranji knockouts in 1977-78. "I was dropped for the game against Gujarat at Bulsar. I remember how happy the Gujarat camp was to see me out of the side because I would have surely caused some damage on that matting surface. I decided then that it was time to go. I was 32.
"A little later, I headed to the Mumbai Cricket Association office along with my friend, the late Ajit Naik, and submitted my retirement letter. An official asked me, 'so you are another player who wants a benefit game?' I did not respond. I knew my time was up and I had no regrets," Ismail recalled. He ended his career with 198 wickets for Mumbai and 244 overall first-class scalps.
He was unlucky not to be picked for India, but son Asif vowed to accomplish what his dad was prevented from doing. Asif played Davis Cup for India before representing Hong Kong. Ismail is delighted to see daughter Zeenat's sons Armaan and Aryaan Bhatia doing well on the tennis court.
A trace of bitterness only shows up when he talks about his BCCI monthly pension. "I have played 75 first-class games, but I get Rs 22,500, which is the amount given to those who have played below 75 games. I hope the BCCI looks into my case and pays me the amount I deserve [Rs 30,000]." While one could sense hope in that voice, there was also gratitude that dates back to his childhood, which was spent living in a two-room home at Mazagaon, playing tennis-ball cricket and encouraged for a career in cricket, first by the Kerkar family of the area and then by Anil Aras in club cricket. Abdulla Moosa Ismail has come a long way to reach 75 today.
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