Nawab of Pataudi      

Full name Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi (Nawab of)

Born March 16, 1910, Pataudi, Punjab

Died January 5, 1952, New Delhi (aged 41 years 295 days)

Major teams England, India, Maharaja of Patiala's XI, Oxford University, Southern Punjab, Western India, Worcestershire

Nickname Pat

Batting style Right-hand bat

Height 6 ft 0 in

Education Chief's College, Lahore; Oxford University

Relation Son - MAK Pataudi, Grandson - SB Jung

The senior Nawab of Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan, is the only Test cricketer to have played for both England and India. Educated at Aitchison's College, Lahore and Balliol College, Oxford, he made the England squad for the 1932-33 Bodyline series. Pataudi followed in the footsteps of Ranji and Duleep by scoring a hundred at the SCG on his Ashes debut (which was also his Test debut). However, he was dropped after the next Test, apparently because he disagreed with the tactics of Douglas Jardine, and returned home before the end of the tour. Punishing form for Worcestershire in the 1933 and 1934 English seasons earned him a recall for one Test against the visiting Australians in 1934, the last time he turned out for his adopted country.

Pataudi was appointed Indian captain several months ahead of the tour of England in 1936. The idea was that he could watch the players in the winter series against the visiting Australians led by Jack Ryder and pick the side he wanted but the advance planning came to nothing when Pataudi withdrew in February claiming he was not fully fit. It was ten years later that he finally led an Indian team to England, although it was not a very well conceived move. Pataudi, then 36, was considerably past his prime and had played little first-class cricket in the preceding years. He made close to a thousand runs on the tour and showed rare glimpses from the past, with centuries against Nottinghamshire and Sussex. But he averaged just 11 in the Tests, which India lost 1-0, and ill health forced him to retire soon after. Five years later, he died while playing a game of polo, on his son - Mansur Ali Khan's - birthday.
Sankhya Krishnan

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1932

Dec 8, 2004

Vijay Hazare and Nawab of Pataudi Sr check out some bats during the tour to England in 1946

© Cricinfo Ltd

Jul 29, 1946

V. Mankad (105), L. Amarnath (106), Nawab of Pataudi (110 not out), V. M. Merchant (205)

© Wisden

1946

The 1946 Indian touring squad

© Wisden

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