Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi aka Tiger Pataudi Passes Away

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi with son Saif Ali Khan Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi aka Tiger Pataudi passed away , leaving behind an extraordinary legacy

In a stunning turn of events that took the cricket world aback, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi aka
Tiger Pataudi, one of India’s most respected cricket captains passed away in a hospital in New Delhi.

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s death sent shockwaves, particularly through the Indian cricket fraternity. Although it was learnt that Tiger Pataudi was suffering from an interstittial lung infection since returning from England, his hospitalization and subsequent treatment was expected to take longer given that he was of seventy years of age. However, that his condition had deteriorated so badly in the last twenty-four hours prior to his demise has taken his former team mates and members of the Indian cricket establishment by shock.
Tiger Pataudi made his debut at the tender age of twenty years of age and despite losing the vision in his right eye, went onto captain the Indian team at twenty-one years of age. He captained in forty of the 46 Tests for the country, scoring 2793 runs for an average of 34.91. Despite showing India the mentality that they could win abroad, he may not have tasted by statistical standards but he is greatly revered as a true captain and passionate lover on the game. Those passions and concerns were even heard when he was part of the IPL governing council when he lamented the state of affairs the IPL controversies had taken.

Born on the 5th of January 1941 in Bhopal to the 8th Nawab of Patuadi, Iftikhar Ali Khan, Pataudi completed his education between Dehradun, Hertfordshire and Oxford, succeeding as the 9th Nawab of Patuaudi after his father’s death in 1952. Having also an ICC Match Referee for a period of 3 years between 1993 and 1996, Pataudi was considered a visionary in that he backed India to win abroad and they did against New Zealand. Pataudi is also credited with having encouraged the spinners in the Indian cricket team, backing one of India’s traditional strengths.

Revered as an inspirational, gentlemantly, warmed hearted cricketer with a wicked sense of humour, Pataudi’s presence in the team from the early 1960’s proved to be a turning point in Indian cricket and that he had influenced so many people within the cricket fraternity became evident in the outpouring of condolence since the news of his passing away this evening at 6.30pm in hospital was made known.
Tiger Pataudi leaves behind his wife, Sharmila Tagore, a famous actress from the Hindi cinema industry. He is survived by his three children, Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan, who are both Bollywood actors, and Sabah. In fact the children have been around his father as his condition began to deteriorate with Saif Ali Khan’s girlfriend/fiancee and Bollywood actress, Kareena Kapoor, also visiting him in the hospital. In fact the Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor marriage was supposedly secretly being planned for early 2012 and now the family is bereaving their beloved father.

Although the doctors claimed that Tiger was suffering from the condition for the past three months, a lung transplant was ruled out. His condition though only worsened less than a month ago after he returned from England where he was present to give the Pataudi Trophy to the England team for their win over India in the Test series.

Cricket mourns one of India’s truly legendary cricket captains. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi RIP.