Former Pakistan captain Saeed Ahmed dies at 86

Saeed Ahmed, the former Pakistan captain and allrounder, has died in Lahore at the age of 86 after a brief illness. Saeed, who played 41 Test matches between 1958 and 1973, captained the side briefly, for three drawn Test matches against England in 1969, replacing Hanif Mohammad. He scored 2991 Test runs, including five Test centuries, two of which came against India. A capable offspinner, he also took 22 Test wickets.

Saeed was born in Jalandhar in 1937 in what was then British India - now a part of Indian Punjab. He made his debut at the age of 20 against West Indies in the famous drawn Test in Bridgetown, where Hanif Mohammad batted for 970 minutes to score 337. Saeed struck up a 154-run partnership with Mohammad for the third wicket, scoring 65 as West Indies bowled 319 overs before the game was ultimately called off.

He quickly made a name for his grace and easy power, particularly when driving the ball, and demonstrated instantly that he belonged at the highest level. He finished his career with a batting average of 40.01, almost identical to his first-class average of 40.02. He later scored his first of five Test hundreds - 150 - in Georgetown against an attack that included Roy Gilchrist, Lance Gibbs and Garry Sobers, though West Indies won that Test by eight wickets. Pakistan won just one of the five Tests he scored a hundred in, though playing in the least prolific period of Pakistan's Test history may have been a factor there.

He was a staple in the Pakistan side for most of his career, though it ended ignominiously. After getting into a spat with Dennis Lillee on Pakistan's 1972 tour of Australia, he ruled himself out of the third Test citing a back injury. The board believed he was faking it, and sent him home for discipline; he would never play for Pakistan again.

"The PCB is saddened over the demise of one of our former Test captain and expresses deep condolences to the family of Saeed Ahmed," PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said. "He served Pakistan with all his heart and the PCB honours his record and services for the Test team."

After retirement, Saeed stepped away from cricket, never working in the sport again. He lived by himself in Lahore for several years, living a reclusive life with few friends or family for company, while his deteriorating health required repeated hospital visits. He was taken to hospital at noon on Wednesday, and died there shortly after.

He is survived by one son, two daughters, and brother Younis Ahmed, who played four Tests for Pakistan.