Former Hyd coach Habib passes away
Former Hyderabad cricketer and coach Habib Khan passed away in Bengaluru on Sunday evening. He was 82 and left behind his son Nisar Khan, at whose residence he breathed his last.
The 6-feet-7-inch tall Habib was a fast bowler who played for Hyderabad, Railways and Services between 1956 and
1971. He had the unique distinction of representing three zones — South (with the Hyderabad team from
1956 to ’69), North (Services,
1964-65), and Central (Railways, 1969 to ’71). He was known for his sharp bouncers that earned him spots in the South India and Rest of India teams as well.
In his 40-match first class career, Habib took 114 wickets at an average of 23.28 with seven five-wicket hauls, his best figures being 8 for 51.
After retirement, he took up coaching and was in charge of the South Central Railway, Indian Railways and Hyderabad teams on which the likes of former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Vivek Jaisimha, Vidyut Jaisimha, Mohammed Affan and Ajmal Asad played.
Habib also coached the Hyderabad Public School (Begumpet) cricket team in the 1980s during which period he mentored players such as Satya Nadella (CEO,
Microsoft), Shailesh Jejurikar (CEO, Proctor and Gamble Fabric Care), Dr Hari Prasad (CEO, Apollo Hospitals), D. Suresh (IAS officer, Secretary of the Government of Haryana).
Habib was also a member of the Hyderabad junior selection committee and an expert at preparation of wickets and tennis courts too.
Habib came from a sporting family. His father Ibrahim Khan represented Hyderabad and the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in cricket, football, hockey and athletics. His younger brothers Sardar and Majid were also cricketers. Sardar played for Indian Railways and Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy while Majid represented Hyderabad in junior cricket.