24 Facts about Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi - The Nawab of Indian cricket

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was arguably the greatest captain India has ever had. He took over the reigns of the India team at the age of just 21. His passion for the game was matchless. Pataudi was a revolutionary, both from the batting point of view and captaincy wise. His leadership tactics were appreciated and followed by his successors. His batting was adventurous and unorthodox. An absolute legend of the game who had a huge impact on the game. He battled tough and constant challenges in his career and continues to be an inspiration for all cricketers around the world. The sophisticated MAK Pataudi brought style and charisma to the game. He was the cult figure of Indian cricket during his playing days and continues to remain the same even today. Here are some interesting facts about Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

1. Birth:

Mohammad Mansur Ali Khan of Pataudi was born on 5 January 1941, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (Previously Bombay Province).

2. Growing years and education:

Pataudi was educated at Minto Circle in Aligarh and then went to Welham Boys’ School in Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Lockers Park Prep School in Hertfordshire and Winchester College. He also learned Arabic and French at Balliol College, Oxford.

3. Origins:

As Ray Robinson, the great Australian writer wrote in the People magazine in 1967, Pataudi traces his roots to Ali Khan, a Muslim who came from Afghanistan in the 16th century at the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. The British Raj conferred the title Nawab of Pataudi in 1806, with a grant of 52 square miles.

4. Born into Royalty:

Mansur Ali Khan was born with a silver spoon. He lived in a palace which had 150 rooms, over 100 servants, seven or eight of whom were personal attendants of Pataudi as a kid. Besides, the palace had huge grounds, stables and garage.

5. Famous nickname:

Pataudi says that he got the nickname “Tiger” as a kid, well before he started playing cricket. “I don’t know why, except as an infant, it seems, I had a tiger like propensity for crawling energetically about the floor on all fours,” explains Pataudi in his autobiography.

6. The Nawab:

Pataudi held the title of Nawab of Pataudi by right, having succeeded his father Iftikhar Ali Khan of Pataudi from 1952 until 1971, who ruled over some 25,000 inhabitants of a small state of Punjab, 30 miles South-West of Delhi. However, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India the privy purses of the princes were abolished and official recognition of the title came to an end.

7. Loses his father on his 11 birthday:

It was on his 11th birthday when his father died. Pataudi Senior died on the saddle while playing a polo match. He was just 41.

8. Family:

Pataudi had an older sister Saleha and younger sisters Sabiha and Qudisa. Tiger Pataudi is a first cousin of Shahryar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and former Pakistan ambassador to Jordan, United Kingdom and France.

9. Moves to Winchester:

Nawabzada Sher Ali Khan of Pataudi, who was a Major General in the Pakistan Army, is MAK Pataudi’s uncle. The uncle wanted Tiger to study at Wellington, but Pataudi’s father’s wish prevailed and young Tiger joined Winchester.

10. Learns the game from the legend:

Tiger Pataudi’s first coach as a youngster was from the great Frank Wooley, the legendary English all-rounder whose tally of 58,959 runs is the second highest in first-class cricket, behind Sir Jack Hobbs.

11. Signs of greatness:

In four years at Winchester College from 1956, Pataudi captained the school team and scored a total of 2036 runs — the last 1068 runs came in his last 18 innings. In doing so, Pataudi beat the schools record set by Douglas Jardine.

12. Liking for other sports:

He teamed up with Christopher Snell to win the public schools rackets title. He played hockey and billiards for Oxford. Pataudi also played soccer as a wing-half.

13. Domestic debut:

Pataudi made his county championship debut at the age of 16 in August 1957 for Sussex against Worcestershire, his father’s old county.

14. Tragic accident:

Pataudi, who had lost his right eye in a road accident, donated his good eye. On July 1, 1961, after a hard day in the field against Sussex at Hove, five members of the Oxford University team, including him, went out into Brighton for some Chinese food. While returning back, Pataudi, who had just settled inside his car got hit by a big vehicle. A splinter had passed from the windscreen and entered his eye and had to be surgically removed. Immediately after his death, Pataudi’s eye was preserved and sent to Venue Eye Institute and Research Center.

15. Debut:

Despite his eye injury, he made his Test debut less than 6 months after and played against England in Delhi in December 1961.

16. Stars in historic series wins:

M.A.K Pataudi scored 103 in the third Test in Madras and helped India win its first series against England.

17. Youngest Indian Test captain:

At 21 years and 77 days, he held the world record for the youngest Test captain until he was surpassed by Tatenda Taibu in May 2004. As of January 2016, he remains the youngest Indian Test captain and second youngest international Test captain worldwide.

18. Revolutionary captain:

Pataudi captained India in 40 out of the 46 Tests he played in his career. His captaincy record was 9 wins, 19 defeats and 19 draws. His victories included India’s first ever Test match win overseas against New Zealand in 1968. India went on to win that series, making it India’s first ever Test series win overseas.

19. Personal life:

On 27 December 1969, Mansoor married Indian film actress Sharmila Tagore. They had three children, Saif Ali Khan, a Bollywood actor, born 16 August 1970; Saba Ali Khan, a jewellery designer, born in 1976; Soha Ali Khan, a Bollywood actress, born 4 October 1978.

20. Death:

Pataudi was admitted to New Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on 22 September 2011 with an acute lung infection caused by chronic interstitial lung disease which prevented his lungs from exchanging oxygen properly. He died of respiratory failure the same day. His body was buried at Pataudi near Delhi on 23 September 2011. His funeral was attended by a large number of film actors, directors and producers, as well as the cricketing fraternity.

21. Autobiography:

In 1969, Pataudi published an autobiography, Tiger’s Tale.

22. Honors:

A plaque in the honour of Pataudi was unveiled at the Oxford University pavilion in the presence of his family. He was Indian Cricket’s Cricketer of the Year in 1962, and Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968.

23. The Pataudi Trophy:

In 2007, in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of India’s Test debut, the Marylebone Cricket Club commissioned a trophy for Test match series between India and England which was named the Pataudi Trophy in honour of his father, the 8th Nawab. India won the 3 match Test series 1-0.

24. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi Memorial Lecture:

In honour of his outstanding contributions towards cricket, the Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi Memorial Lecture was instituted by the BCCI on 6 February 2013. The inaugural lecture was delivered by Sunil Gavaskar on 20 February 2013.