Former India player Sudhir Naik passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday after a brief illness. The 78-year-old Naik played three Tests and two One-Day Internationals for the national team.
“A day after he was hospitalised (on March 24), I went and saw him. He was responding to the treatment. He recognised me and tried talking to me. I had a bit of a conversation with him,” former India pacer Zaheer Khan told Sportstar.
Khan was one of the many cricketers Naik mentored over the years in Mumbai.
“Knowing the personality that I have seen over the years, I was hoping he would fight through this. But it wasn’t to be. On Sunday night, he became critical, and we were told that the next 72 hours will be critical. While we were hoping for his recovery, all through this time, I have been recalling my innumerable conversations with him as soon as I moved to Mumbai,” Khan said.
A stalwart of Mumbai cricket, Naik led a depleted Mumbai team to a Ranji Trophy triumph in 1971 when the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Dilip Sardesai and Ashok Mankad were touring the Caribbean. He played 85 First Class games and scored 4376 runs, including a top score of 200 not out.
After retiring, he went into cricket administration including managing the affairs of the National Cricket Club. Apart from Zaheer Khan, Naik also nurtured the careers of Wasim Jaffer and Nilesh Kulkarni, apart from a number of players who went on to play for Mumbai.
Naik was also the chief curator of the Wankhede Stadium, and prepared the pitch for the 2011 ICC men’s ODI World Cup and Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test match in 2013.
BCCI expressed its grief at Naik’s passing.
“We are deeply saddened by the sad demise of Shri Sudhir Naik. His solid contribution – across decades – towards the game shall inspire everyone who wants to take up the sport. The BCCI prays for the departed soul and shares the grief of the family,” BCCI president Roger Binny said in a statement.