Akash Lal

Akash Lal (born 6 October 1940) is a former Indian first-class cricketer who mainly played for Delhi and Punjab, and a former Indian team selector.

Akash Lal
Personal information
Born (1940-10-06) 6 October 1940
Kapurthala, Punjab, India
BattingRight-handed
RoleOpening batsman
RelationsMuni Lal (father), Arun Lal (cousin), Jagdish Lal (uncle)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1957/58Patiala
1959/60–1968/69Delhi
1969/70–1975/76Punjab
Career statistics
Competition FC
Matches 94
Runs scored 5,622
Batting average 41.64
100s/50s 15/26
Top score 209*
Balls bowled 447
Wickets 6
Bowling average 50.50
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 2/21
Catches/stumpings 55/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 30 December 2015

Life and career

Akash Lal was born on 6 October 1940 in Kapurthala, Punjab. His father Muni Lal was also a first-class cricketer who played in the 1930s and 1940s.[1] His uncle Jagdish Lal, father of Indian cricketer Arun Lal, had also played first-class cricket for various teams.[2]

Lal was a right-handed opening batsman who made his first-class debut for Patiala in the 1957/58 season. He switched to Delhi for the 1959/60 season and played ten seasons for them. He captained Delhi for three seasons from 1965/66. He was in contention for getting selected for the Indian team in 1966. He scored 82 and 4 in a tour match against West Indies at Delhi, but due to his struggle against Garry Sobers' spin bowling and a dropped catch, he was not selected.[3] He moved to Punjab before the 1969/70 season and represented them until the 1975/76 season.

After retirement, Lal became a selector for the Indian national cricket team. He was part of the five-member selection panel that picked Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian team at the age of 16 for his first international tour against Pakistan.[4] Lal was one of the three members of the panel who voted in favour of Tendulkar's selection.[5][6]

References
  1. "Muni Lal". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  2. "Jagdish Lal". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  3. "Akash Lal". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  4. "An emotional Akash Lal reminisces the day he selected Sachin". India Today. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  5. "It was 3-2 in Sachin`s favour for 1989 Pak tour: Selector Akash Lal". Zee News. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  6. "Cricket ignores man who backed Sachin's inclusion". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
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