Raman Lamba

Raman Lamba (pronunciation  (2 January 1960 – 23 February 1998) was an Indian cricketer. Raman had played in four Tests and 32 One Day Internationals, mainly as a batsman. He was a popular player in Bangladesh's Dhaka Premier League[1] and has also represented Ireland in unofficial One Day International matches.[2][3] Lamba died after slipping into a coma, as a result of an internal haemorrhage, three days after being hit on the temporal bone by a cricket ball while fielding in Bangladesh's league cricket.[4]

Raman Lamba
Personal information
Full nameRaman Lamba Kushal
Born(1960-01-02)2 January 1960
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died23 February 1998(1998-02-23) (aged 38)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleBatsman
International information
National side
Test debut17 January 1987 v Sri Lanka
Last Test25 November 1987 v West Indies
ODI debut7 October 1986 v Australia
Last ODI22 December 1989 v Pakistan
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1980-1998Delhi
1980-1991North Zone
1990Ireland
1992-1998Abahani
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC
Matches 4 32 121
Runs scored 102 783 8776
Batting average 20.40 27.00 53.86
100s/50s 0/1 1/6 31/27
Top score 53 102 320
Balls bowled - 19 816
Wickets - 1 6
Bowling average - 20.00 70.50
5 wickets in innings - 0 0
10 wickets in match - 0 0
Best bowling - 1/9 2/9
Catches/stumpings 5/- 10/- 60/0
Source: CricketArchive, 12 September 2011

Profile

Raman Lamba was born on 2 January 1960 at Meerut. He was a right-handed batsman, noted for his fitness. He commenced his Ranji Trophy career in 1980-81 and continued until his death in the 1997–98 season. He scored 6362 runs at an average of 53.91 in 87 matches, scoring 22 centuries including 5 double centuries and his career highest of 312 versus Himachal Pradesh at Delhi in 1994–95, which is not only his personal highest score but also among the highest individual scores for Delhi. In 1994-95 he aggregated 1034 runs in 10 matches at an average of 73.86 with 3 centuries and 4 half-centuries, which was a record number of runs in a Ranji Trophy season. He led Delhi in 8 matches in the season 1994–95, winning 3 and drawing 5. His 320 in the Duleep Trophy for North Zone against West Zone in the final at Bhilai in 1986-87 still remains among the highest individual scores. In first-class cricket, he scored a total of 8776 runs at 53.84 and his 175 innings including 31 centuries and 27 fifties.

Lamba's highest score 320* came in the Duleep Trophy Final in 1987-88 for North Zone v West Zone. The West might have felt very satisfied with their first innings score of 444, with their captain and Test opener Anshuman Gaekwad making 216. Their opponents, however, had other ideas and replied with 868 all out. Lamba left Gaekwad in the shade with 320 in 720 minutes which was scored off 471 balls including six 6s and thirty 4s. That season he totalled 1097 runs at 84.38. Seven years later he crossed the triple hundred mark again with 312 for Delhi in a Ranji Trophy match versus Himachal Pradesh at Delhi. The hosts ran up 637-3 declared owing much to a first wicket Indian record wicket 464 between Lamba and Ravi Sehgal, who made 216. Lamba's 312 came off 392 balls with two 6s and twenty five 4s and took 567 minutes. These innings and similar knocks, such as his 617 balls 250 for Delhi v Punjab in 1996/97 gained him a somewhat mixed reputation.[5][6]

International cricket

One-day cricket

Lamba appeared for India as a one-day player in the 1986 Australasia Cup final, when he also took a good catch under pressure to dismiss Abdul Qadir off Kapil Dev, where he played as substitute fielder.[7] He had a great opening in One day cricket as he scored 64 in his first match and 102 in his sixth match as he won the man of the series against Australia for scoring 278 runs at an average of 55.60 per innings with a century and 2 fifties. His scoring pattern in 6 innings were 64, 1, 20*, 74, 17 and 102.[8] Lamba and Krishnamachari Srikkanth were India's openers for the Jawaharlal Nehru Centenary Cup in 1989. Twice they had 100 runs opening partnership, against Australia and Pakistan. Their approach was similar, as both were stroke players. Their aggressive batting approach as openers was later adopted by opening pair Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana in 1996 world cup.[6]

50s and 100s
Sl. Opponent Date How out Runs Result
1 Australia 7 Sep 1986 c Border b Mathews 64 India won by 7 wickets[9]
2 Australia 2 Oct 1986 c sub (MRJ Veletta) b S.Waugh 74 India won by 3 wickets[10]
3 Australia 7 Oct 1986 b Bruce Reid 102 India lost by 3 wickets[11]
4 Sri Lanka 13 Jan 1987 not out 57 India won by 6 wickets[12]
5 West Indies 23 Oct 1989 c Dujon b Walsh 61 India lost by 20 runs[13]
6 Australia 27 Oct 1989 lbw G.Mathews 57 India won by 3 wickets[14]
7 Pakistan 28 Oct 1989 c Aaqib Javed b Abdul Qadir 57 India lost by 77 runs[15][16]

Test cricket

Lamba had a moderate start at an average of 33.67 against the Sri Lankans, but failed in his only test against the West Indies, scoring just one run in two innings which virtually ended his career as a Test player. He did make a comeback to test cricket playing XI against Pakistan in 1989, but injured his finger during nets and couldn't play in the match. and Mohammad Azharuddin was given a chance again.

50s
Sl. Opponent Date How out Runs Result
1 Sri Lanka 1986 c Jurangpathy b EAR de Silva 53 India won by an innings and 106 runs[17]

Personal life

In 1987 Raman Lamba met his future wife, Irishwoman Kim Michelle Crothers and they were engaged for 3 years before getting married on 7, September 1990. Lamba started playing as an overseas professional cricketer in Ireland with Ulster from 1990. Raman and Kim have two children Jasmyn and Kamran. Kim settled down with both children in Portugal[18] after Raman's demise.

Death

Lamba died on 23 February 1998[3] in the Post Graduate Hospital in Dhaka in Bangladesh[19] after he was hit on the temple by a cricket ball hit by Mehrab Hossain[20] off left arm spinner Saifullah Khan while fielding at forward short leg. It is said that Lamba was asked to wear a helmet, but he thought it was unnecessary as only three balls of the over were remaining when he was asked to move to that position. He was known by his teammates not to use a helmet while fielding close in. Lamba was playing for Dhaka's leading club, Abahani Krira Chakra, in the final of the Premier Division cricket match versus Mohammedan Sporting Club at the Dhaka Bangabandhu Stadium on 20 February 1998. The shot was so ferocious that the ball deflected from his head and flew into wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud' s gloves. Mohammad Aminul Islam, the former Bangladesh captain, recalled "I was the new man in and asked Raman if he was okay. He said, 'Bulli (Islam's nickname is Bulbul) main to mar gaya' (I am dead, Bulli)".[21] Although the injury did not appear to be particularly serious, Lamba suffered an internal haemorrhage and slipped into a coma. Although a neurosurgeon was flown in from Delhi, all efforts were in vain. After three days his ventilator was removed and Lamba was declared dead.

There were tributes from all over the world when Lamba died. His wife Kim paid him the most moving tribute when she put the cap of his local team, Sonnet Club, on Lamba.[6]

Trivia
  • On his first tour abroad to England in 1986, he was involved in a rare incident when 12 fielders were on the field for one full over from Ravi Shastri in the second test against England at Leeds, when as a substitute for K. Srikkanth, he remained on the field even though Srikkanth had already arrived on the field quietly, without requesting Raman Lamba to go back to the pavilion. The umpires were also unaware of Srikkanth's return to the field throughout the 6-ball over in which, fortunately, nothing untoward took place on the field.[6][18]
  • Just as Lamba could not play a test on the tour of England in 1986, he missed a test on his next tour of Pakistan in 1989-90 due to a finger injury in the morning of first test.[6]
  • Lamba was involved in one more controversial incident. He had a wordy clash with West Zone cricketer Rashid Patel on the field of play during a Duleep Trophy match at Jamshedpur in 1990–91. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 25 February 1991 banned Lamba till 31 December 1991 and Patel till 31 March 1992 from playing in any first-class cricket match, as a punishment.[22][6][18][23]

International Cricket Centuries

ODI Centuries
ODI centuries of Raman Lamba
No Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year Result
1 102 7  Australia Rajkot, India Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium 1986 Lost

International awards

Man of the Match awards
No. Opponent Venue Date Match Performance Result
1 Australia Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi 2 October 1986 1 Ct. ; 74 (68 balls: 8x4, 1x6)  India won by 3 wickets.[24]

References
  1. Biswas, Soutik (15 February 1994). "A profitable pitch". India Today. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  2. "Profile of Raman Lamba". Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  3. Wisden. "Obituary of Raman Lamba". Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  4. "डेब्यू में इस जांबाज खिलाड़ी ने की थी ऑस्ट्रेलियाई गेंदबाजों की धुनाई, लेकिन सिर पर गेंद लगने से हो गई थी मौत". NDTV Hindi. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  5. "Famous Irish cricketers: Raman Lamba". cricketeurope4.net. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  6. "Special Profile on Raman Lamba: Shocking end of a brave cricketer". Indian Cricket. December 1998.
  7. "Raman Lamba Takes a Good Catch vs Pak at Sharjah in Australasia Cup 1986". YouTube. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  8. "Raman Lamba shows his mettle against Australia at Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi". India Today. 31 October 1986. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  9. Charminar Challenge Series (Ind vs Aus) 1st ODI match report
  10. Charminar Challenge Series (Ind vs Aus) 4th ODI match report
  11. Charminar Challenge Series (Ind vs Aus) 6th ODI match report
  12. Charminar Challenge Series (Ind vs SL) 3rd ODI match report
  13. MRF World Series (Nehru Cup) 8th ODI match report
  14. MRF World Series (Nehru Cup) 13th ODI match report
  15. MRF World Series (Nehru Cup) 15th ODI match report
  16. "Raman Lamba Brutal Innings against Pakistan in 1989". YouTube. 16 April 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  17. India v Sri Lanka at Nagpur - Dec 27-31, 1986
  18. Suvajit Mustafi (2 January 2015). "Raman Lamba: 10 things you need to know". criclife. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  19. Williamson, Martin (14 August 2010). "The tragic death of Raman Lamba". Cricinfo Magazine. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  20. Das, N Jagannath (4 March 2014). "The Day That Still Haunts Mehrab". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  21. Monga, Sidharth. "Remembering Raman Lamba". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  22. "Ban on Lamba, Patel", The Indian Express, p. 16, 25 February 1991, retrieved 3 October 2016
  23. Roy, Ayan (23 September 2015). "Cricket's fight club: Five infamous on-field spats". Mid Day. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  24. "1986-1987 India v Australia - 4th Match - Delhi".
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