Jamnagar: Salim Durani, the Indian cricketer of the 1960s with a penchant for hitting monstrous sixes on demand, passed away this morning. He was 88.

He was living with his brother, Jahangir Durani, in Gujarat’s Jamnagar and had undergone a surgery for thigh bone fracture in January this year.

Durani played 29 Tests for India and took 75 wickets, with the best bowling figure of 10 for 177. With the bat in hand, he scored 1,202 runs with the highest score of 104 against West Indies in 1962.

The former left handed all-rounder was famous for his heroic performance in India’s series victory against England in 1961-62. He scalped eight and ten wickets in Kolkata and Chennai Tests to guide India to a 2-0 series victory.

Durani made his Test debut against Australia in the beginning of 1960 at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, and played his last international match against England in February 1973.

The stylish cricketer aggregated 8,545 runs at 33.37 in first-class cricket and hit 14 hundreds. He was the country’s first Arjuna Awardee in cricket.

Salim Durani had also starred in the Bollywood film ‘Charitra’ in 1973, opposite famous actress of the ’70s and ’80s, Parveen Babi.