Remembering Mehallasha Edulji Pavri india's first great cricketer

[vayuu1]

I have seen people discussing all time india's eleven and mentioning mohd nissar and amar Singh ,so I thought were they our first fast bowling sensation ,then while going through and article regarding javagal srinath ,I came to know about mehallasha Pavri , who was considered one o f the fastest bowler of his era,so I thought I would like to share some info about him. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia M.E. Pavri Personal information Full name Mehallasha Edulji Pavri Born 10 October 1866 Navsari, Gujarat, India Died 19 April 1946 (aged*79) Bombay, India Batting style Right-handed Bowling style Right-arm fast Role Bowler Domestic team information Years Team 1892-1913 Parsees 1892 All-India XI 1893 Middlesex Career statistics Competition First-class Matches 26 Runs scored 589 Batting average 15.50 100s/50s 0/1 Top score 69 Balls bowled 2,014 Wickets 44 Bowling average 20.25 5 wickets in innings 2 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 6/36 Catches/stumpings 19/0 Source: [Cricinfo], 5 November 2012 Mehallasha Edulji Pavri Born 10 October 1866 Navsari, Gujarat, India Died 19 April 1946 Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India Nationality India Occupation Cricketer, Doctor Religion Parsi Mehallasha Edulji Pavri (10 October 1866 – 19 April 1946 in Navsari, Gujarat, India[1]) was an Indian cricketer, who played 26 first-class matches between 1892 and 1913. Undoubtedly one of India's greatest cricketers and one of its first ever genuine fast bowlers in its pre-Test era. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler, one of the fastest in those times. Most of his first-class cricket was for the Parsees, but he also represented an All-India XI and Middlesex several times. He made his debut on the Parsee tour to England in 1888, immediately becoming a revelation with his 170 wickets at an average of 11.66, and now he is widely regarded as the first great Indian cricketer. According to legend, at Eastbourne, he is said to have sent a bail flying 50 yards, while in Norfolk, when he uprooted a stump, it flew nine yards and pitched itself the right way up. Performances in other notable matches include the Parsees vs Lord Hawke's XI in 1892 which resulted in a narrow Parsi victory and was also the first-ever first-class match staged in the subcontinent. The match was considered as the Cricket Championship of India at that time, and Pavri took 2 wickets for 3 runs in 3 overs and 7/34 in 13.2 overs. The Parsis won match by 4 wickets.[2] In 1892, he played against Lord Hawke's XI and in a 109-run Parsi win, he took figures of 2/18 and 6/36.[3] He also represented an All-India XI against Lord Hawke's XI in 1892. He was consistent and a prolific wicket taking attacking bowler, and a decent bat who played in the middle order and had a top first-class score of 69. He also dominated the early years of the Bombay Pentagular Tournament. He was also a learned scholar and a skilled doctor. He had mastered medicine while studying it in London. After retirement, he not only worked as a doctor but also wrote a very interesting book on Indian cricket, which analysed almost every important aspect and possible improvements of Indian cricket at that time.

[Ghost Buster]

^ We indians only admire what we see. There were many great cricketers in india who were better than some of the current players and didnt get the limelight as of now. Technology advancement has helped nowadays players to attract fans than those in the past.