Former Pakistan all-rounder Cricketer Billy Ibadulla passed away at the age of 88 on Friday, July 12.
Billy Ibadulla holds the distinction of becoming the first Pakistan batter to score a hundred on Test debut.
He scored 166 runs off 330 balls with 20 fours against Australia back in October 1964 at the National Stadium. In the same match, he put on 249 runs for the opening wicket along with wicketkeeper Abdul Kadir. After 60 years, it remains as the highest partnership by two debutants in the history of Test cricket.
Ibadulla played 4 Tests in which he scored 253 runs at an average of 31.62 with a hundred to his name. He had a sensational record in first-class cricket as he scored 17078 runs from 417 matches at an average of 27.28 with 22 hundreds and 82 fifties to show for his efforts.
He also played 64 List A matches and scored 829 runs at an average of 16.91 with 2 fifties and a top score of 75 to his name.
Ibadulla also played for Otago in a couple of seasons after he moved to New Zealand. His son, Kassem Ibadulla represented Gloucestershire and Otago across 19 List A and 31 first-class matches.