For him cricket is a blood sport

Syed Abbas Ali may not be a household name among the ardent followers of domestic cricket but he is batsman of high pedigree. The left-hand ...

Syed Abbas Ali may not be a household name among the ardent followers of domestic cricket but he is batsman of high pedigree. The left-hand MP batsman and grandson of the great Mushtaq Ali is the third generation cricketer of the famous family.

The oft-repeated cliche of cricket running in family blood would fit Abbas Ali to the last drop. Abbas’ father Gulrez Ali reprsented MP in the 60s to the 80s after Mushtaq retired from international cricket in 1952.

Abbas, 27, has been a regular member of the MP Ranji team since his debut in 1996, having scored over 4,000 runs with 10 centuries and a double hundred. Currently in the Capital as part of the MP team which takes on Delhi in the Ranji Trophy league match at Jamia tomorrow, Abbas spoke of the great influence his grand-dad had on his game.

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‘‘Balla pakadna unhone hi sikhaya (he was the one who taught me how to hold a bat),’’ said Abbas who as a child used to visit the grounds with his father. ‘‘Being part of a joint family also helped me a lot. I have grown up listening to cricket stories from my grandpa, instead of the normal raja-rani stuff,’’ he added.

‘‘I have heard so many stories of my grand dad’s deeds on the cricket field. I have heard people say that no other Indian batsman of his era dominated the bowlers as he did,’’ Abbas recollected.

‘‘He (Mushtaq) would watch me play in some matches but never make any comments at the ground. Once back at home, he would tell me where I went wrong or where I should correct my batting technique. He remains my guide and coach,’’ said Abbas, who made the India A teams to Pakistan (1998) and Abu Dhabi (2002).

Abbas refuted the common theory that being the grandson of a legendary cricketer put any additional pressure on him. ‘‘There has never been any pressure on me. Performance on the field is what counts,’’ said the young cricketer.

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What advice Mushtaq gives to his grandson whose ambition is to play for the country? ‘‘He keeps telling me to work hard and perform. From time to time, he gives me batting tips,’’ said Abbas who occasionally bowls off-spin.

‘‘Although I have been playing Ranji for over eight years now, I not not satisfied with my overall perfromance so far. I should have scored more runs. I still need to work on a few basics. The game is so vast that every day one learns something new,’’ said the youngster, sounding more philosophical.

In the three matches so far this season, the left-hander has scored two half-centuries (vs Andhra and Karnataka) but got a pair against Mumbai against whom MP got two points on the basis of their first innings lead.

Indore’s third generation cricketer is determined to keep the legacy of his grandfather going. ‘‘He had his own inmitable style of batting. And I have my own. It’s a honour to be known as Mushtaq’s grandson,’’ Abbas said proudly.