United Kingdom High Commissioner to Bharat Alex Ellis
has paid tribute to legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi, who died on Monday.
Ellis said his first sight of someone from Bharat was watching Bedi play
cricket.
Taking to X, Alex Ellis stated, “My first sight of
someone from India was watching Bishan Singh Bedi play cricket. It was the best
possible introduction – skill, strength and courage in human form.”
Legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi passed away at the
age of 77. The Amritsar-born spinner, who played domestic cricket for Delhi,
finished his career with 1,560 wickets in first-class cricket – more than any
other Indian.
The legendary spinner had an illustrious domestic
cricket career, especially with the Delhi team, in addition to his
international career. He was a mentor to several spinners and made substantial
contributions to the development of young talent in India.
Bedi’s impact on the sport extended beyond the ground
as he became a respected commentator and an advocate for sportsmanship and fair
play.
Bishan Singh Bedi featured in 67 Tests for India
between 1967 and 1979 and bagged 266 wickets. He also took seven wickets in 10
one-day Internationals. He played test cricket for India from 1966 to 1979 and
he formed part of the famous Indian spin quartet (Bedi, EAS Prasanna, BS
Chandrasekhar and S Venkataraghavan).
The legendary spinner also captained the national side
in 22 Test matches. He was also honoured with the Padma Shri Award in 1970. Bedi
also represented Northamptonshire in English county cricket for many years.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur confirmed the
unfortunate news and said, “Former India captain and spinner Bishan Singh Bedi
has passed away. It is a very sad news. It’s a huge loss for India. He started
so many camps in Himachal. I and the whole cricketing family stand with his
family.”
ANI
