Former Indian test cricketer Madhavrao Laxmanrao Apte who played in 7 Tests and 67 first class matches during 50s, is no more. He passed away early morning today, during treatment at Mumbai’s Beach Candy Hospital . he was 86. His funeral will take place at Shivaji Park today at 2 pm according to his family sources.
Madhav Apte on the cover page of his autobiography
In 1951, at the age of 19, he made his first-class debut playing for Indian Universities against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club. In 1952, at the age of 20, he played his first Ranji trophy against the Saurashtra cricket team after Vijay Merchant dropped out due to injuries. That same year, he was selected as a replacement to the Bombay team after Pankaj Roy and made his national cricket debut against the Pakistan team that season. He also played one season for the Bengal cricket team. In 1953, Apte was selected for India’s tour to West Indies, where at Port-of-Spain, he finished as the second highest scorer for India after Polly Umrigar. His unbeaten 163 against the attack of Frank King, Gerry Gomez, Frank Worrell and others in the Queens Park Oval Test of 1953 was a memorable innings. He scored 542 runs in 7 tests with a century and three 50s with a batting average of 49.27.
When Apte was not selected to represent India , for the reasons best known to then selectors, he continued to play first class cricket and scored 3366 runs in 67 matches with an average of 38.79. His last first-class game was the 1967-68 Ranji Trophy final between Bombay and Madras. He joined his family’s business and officially retired from international cricket at the age of 34. He had also served as Sheriff of Bombay. In 2015, at the age of 82, he published his autobiography titled ‘As Luck Would Have It’ at Wankhede Stadium at the hands of Sunil Gavaskar.
Mr. Apte was elected to the office of the president of the Cricket Club of India in 1989. He has since the served as the president of the Club’s Legend’s Club and was the chairman of his family’s company, Apte Group. His son his son, Vaman Apte represented India in squash and is actively associated with sports administration besides managing family business.