Pataudi had a long association with Bhopal
BHOPAL: Former India cricket captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who died in New Delhi last evening, had a long association with Bhopal, where he was born.
Pataudi, also known as ‘Tiger’, had played an influential role in the development of both cricket and hockey in the city.
He had started a cricket tournament in Bhopal in the 70s in the memory of his father and cricketing greats like Sunil Gavaskar took part in it. He also served as the Bhopal Hockey Association chief for sometime.
Former hockey Olympian, Aslam Sher Khan said that both Pataudi and his father Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan rendered invaluable services to cricket and hockey.
“While Tiger did not play for the Indian hockey team, his father, who was also a cricketer, donned national colours in the Olympics,” he said.
“Tiger maintained his connection with Bhopal at all times and did all he could for development of sports in the city,” he said.
Being the son of Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Begum Sajida Sultan of Bhopal, Pataudi inherited two titles of ‘Nawab’, which was an uncommon thing.
Following his death, the mantle of looking after the huge properties of the erstwhile royal family, extending from Bhopal to Saudi Arabia, has now fallen on his daughter Saba Ali Khan.
Pataudi had been grooming her for this task for the last three years and had declared her as “Naib Mutawali” (trustee), a decision which was initially opposed by Muslims but later accepted.
Saba’s role as “Naib Mutawali” is expected to be more of a socio-religious nature, than that of an owner.
Pataudi had also contested the 1991 Lok Sabha elections from Bhopal albeit unsuccessfully, losing to BJP’s Sushil Chandra Verma.