Notable cricket deaths of 2023

The cricketing world said goodbye to some of its most cherished and renowned figures in 2023. As the game progressed, it also lamented the loss of outstanding players whose contributions etched unforgettable chapters in cricket's history. From game-changing trailblazers to renowned mentors and legends, each absence leaves an unforgettable loss in the hearts of fans worldwide. Reflecting on their incredible careers and long legacies becomes a heartfelt yet necessary tribute to these exceptional cricketers who made an indelible stamp on the game. Here are a few notable deaths in the cricket fraternity in 2023: 1. Sudhir Nayak Sudhir Naik (Photo Source: Twitter) Sudhir Nayak a right-handed batter hailing from the maidans in Mumbai passed away on March 24, 2023, at his residence in Mumbai, Maharashtra at the age of 78. In a prolific domestic career, Naik amassed 4376 runs in 85 First-Class matches with 7 centuries. He scored 2687 runs (40.10) with a highest score of 200 not out against Baroda in 1973-74, for Bombay (now Mumbai) in the Ranji Trophy. He also played 3 Tests and 2 ODIs for India from 1974-1975, scoring 141 and 38 runs respectively with one Test fifty to his name. He then became the owner and coach of the National Cricket Club, which produced players such as Zaheer Khan, Wasim Jaffer, and Nilesh Kulkarni. He was also the Wankhede Stadium's main curator for several years, most notably during the 2011 World Cup final. 2. Ijaz Butt Ijaz Butt. (Photo Source: Twitter) Ijaz Butt was 85 years old when he passed away in Lahore on August 3, 2023. Butt was a wicketkeeper-batter, who played 8 Tests for Pakistan from 1959- 1962. He made 279 runs with one fifty and took 5 catches. After retirement, Butt ventured into administration and in 2008 was named the chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board. 3. Joe Solomon Joe Solomon. (Photo Source: X(Twitter) West Indies lost batter Joe Solomon at the age of 93 on December 10, 2023. Between 1958 and 1965, he played 27 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 1326 runs at an average of 34. He made his debut against India in 1958, and his first Test century came in the fourth Test in Delhi. Many cricket fans remember Joe Solomon as the fielder who ran out Ian Meckiff in a match between the West Indies and Australia at the Gabba in 1960, resulting in the game's first-ever drawn Test. Solomon was also dismissed hit wicket in the second Test of that series in Melbourne after his cap landed on the stumps and dislodged the bails. 4. Salim Durani Salim Durrani. (Photo Source: X(Twitter) Former India all-rounder Salim Durani passed away at the age of 88 in Jamnagar, Gujarat on April 2, 2023. The Kabul-born cricketer played 170 FC matches, amassing 8545 runs with 14 centuries at an average of 137* and taking 484 wickets at an average of 8/99. Durani got 75 wickets in 29 Tests for India, with the best bowling figure of 10 for 177. He scored 1202 runs with the bat, with the top score of 104 against the West Indies in 1962. In 1973, the star cricketer ventured into Bollywood, starring opposite famed actor Praveen Babi in the film Charitra. He was also the first cricketer to be honoured with the Arjuna Award. In addition, as the only Afghan-born Indian cricketer, he was present for the historic India vs. Afghanistan Test match on June 14, 2018. In 2011, the BCCI presented him with the C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. 5. Heath Streak Heath Streak. (Photo Source: Twitter) One of the most popular cricketers to come out of Zimbabwe and their former captain Heath Streak succumbed to cancer at the age of 49 on September 3, 2023. He is also the only cricketer from the country to complete the double of 100 Test wickets and 1000 Test runs and the only one from the country to score 2000 runs and claim 200 wickets in ODIs. During his Zimbabwe career, which spanned from 1993 to 2005, Streak took 216 Test and 239 ODI wickets. Streak went on to coach several international teams, including Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, as well as several Indian Premier League teams, including Kolkata Knight Riders and the now-defunct Rajkot franchise. 6. Bishan Singh Bedi Bishan Singh Bedi. (Photo Source: Twitter) Legendary India spinner and former captain Bishan Singh Bedi passed away on October 23, 2023. He is survived by four children, Angad Bedi, Neha Bedi, Gavasinder Bedi, and Gillinder Bedi. Bishan Bedi was born in Amritsar on 25 September 1946. He plied his trade in Indian domestic cricket for Punjab and Delhi. Bedi made his India Test debut against the West Indies in the 1967 Test in Kolkata. He took 266 wickets in 67 Tests, with a best of 7/98 at an average of 28.71 and an economy of 2.14. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was part of a deadly spin quartet for India that included leg-spinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and off-spinners Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. Bedi also appeared in 370 FC games and took 1560 wickets, including a lengthy stint with Northamptonshire in English county cricket. Apart from Tests, Bedi appeared in 10 One-Day Internationals, taking 7 wickets. In the 1975 World Cup, he was instrumental in India's first-ever ODI victory over East Africa. His miserly bowling figures of 12-8-6-1 are still regarded as a record.

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Notable cricket deaths of 2023

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