Jay Shah, BCCI Secretary, expressed his condolences on social media, mourning the loss to the cricketing community
NEW DEHLI: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-August 1st, 2024) Anshuman Gaekwad, the former Indian cricketer and national head coach, has passed away on Thursday.
He was 71.
Anshuman Gaekwad had been suffering from blood cancer for a long time.
Jay Shah, BCCI Secretary, expressed his condolences on social media, mourning the loss to the cricketing community.
Gaekwad, who had been in London until last month, died in Baroda after a brief stay in the ICU due to health complications.
Gaekwad had a distinguished cricket career, representing India in 40 Test matches and 15 ODIs from 1975 to 1987. He later served as a selector and coach for the national team.
As a player, Gaekwad amassed 1,985 runs from 70 Test innings, including a memorable double-century of 201 against Pakistan in the 1982-83 series, which was noted for its slow pace, lasting 671 minutes. He also made headlines with a resilient 81 against the West Indies in Jamaica, despite the challenges of playing without modern protective gear.
Gaekwad’s contributions to Indian cricket extended beyond his playing career. He had two terms as the national coach, first during the Sachin Tendulkar era and later amidst the match-fixing controversy. His tenure saw notable successes, including the Independence Cup victory, a home series win against Australia, and a drawn ODI series in New Zealand. He also led India to the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2000, where they were defeated by New Zealand.
The board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had recently allocated INR 1 crore for Gaekwad’s treatment, following appeals from former players Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil.
