Former Pakistan captain Saeed Ahmed passes away
Lahore (PTI): Saeed Ahmed, the former Pakistan Test captain and a dashing batsman of his time, passed away here after leading a largely reclusive life away from cricket since his retirement. He was 86.
Ahmed played 41 Test matches, scoring 2,991 runs with five centuries and 16 half-centuries. He also took 22 wickets with his off-spin bowling.
Ahmed made his Test debut against the West Indies during the famous drawn Bridgetown Test in 1958 when he was 20 and played his last Test for Pakistan in Melbourne against Australia during the 1972-73 tour.
However, his Pakistan career had an undignified end during that tour.
The Pakistan board believed that Ahmed faked a back injury to avoid playing against Dennis Lillee on a green top at Sydney after his altercation with the pacer in that Melbourne Test.
Ahmed was subsequently recalled from the tour on disciplinary grounds and he was never selected for Pakistan again.
But before that Ahmed was known for his elegance, particularly those drives down the ground, and penchant for big scores.
In his debut Test against the Windies, Saeed featured in a 150-plus runs partnership with Hanif Muhammad, who made his historic 337 in the second innings to help Pakistan walk away with a draw.
Muhammad batted for 970 minutes during that knock, while Ahmed made a resolute 65.
He was Pakistan's sixth Test captain and replaced Muhammad as skipper of the side during England's tour of Pakistan in 1969. He only led Pakistan for three Tests and all were drawn.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqv said: "The entire cricketing fraternity is saddened over the demise of one of our former Test captains. We are conveying our deep condolences to the family of Saeed Ahmed.
"He served Pakistan with all his heart and the PCB honours his record and services for the Test team."
Saeed's half-brother, Younus Ahmed, also played four Tests for Pakistan. He was called up by Imran Khan to the 1987 tour of India and played in a Test.
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Over 700 deaths by negligence in Bengaluru, only two convictions in four years: Report
Bengaluru: Bengaluru has reported 707 cases of death by negligence since 2020, yet only two of these cases have resulted in convictions, highlighting significant challenges victims face in seeking justice.
Data accessed by the Deccan Herald revealed that 378 cases are currently under trial, 155 are under investigation, while 135 have been closed due to “false reporting” and 62 resulted in acquittals.
These negligence-related deaths were related to substandard civic infrastructure, roads, rain-related incidents, electrocution, factory accidents, among others. Alarmingly, 10-15 percent of these cases each year pertain to negligence involving civic agencies.
Under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), death by negligence was punished with two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the punishment has been increased to five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The recent collapse of an under-construction apartment building in Bengaluru on October 22, which claimed at least nine lives, drew significant attention and led to a quick police case. However, in many negligence cases, even filing a police complaint can be a struggle.
A police officer investigating the Babusapalya case noted that in cases where a single labourer is killed, the victim’s family often opt for “settlement” with the accused due to their poor financial situation. “A large number of cases marked as false reporting are also the result of such settlements. Complainants either don’t cooperate during evidence gathering or just withdraw the case,” the officer was quoted as saying by DH.
In many instances, “settlement” cases are ultimately categorised as Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs), primarily involving fatalities at construction sites and factories. According to the officer, proving a case of death by negligence is complex and requires extensive technical work.
Saidulu Adavath, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), explained that the word ‘negligence’ has not been well-defined, therefore making careful investigations essential. He told the news outlet that when a complainant alleges negligence, there is a need to establish the acts that are actually negligent and then proceed with technical analysis to prove them. “Even a minor hiccup can cause the case to falter,” he added.
According to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bengaluru has emerged as the leading metropolitan city for deaths due to negligence from civic bodies.
