Former Indian all-rounder Roger Binny, who is also the current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, turned 68 on Wednesday. From his international debut in 1979 to his retirement in 1987, the unheralded bowling all-rounder served Indian cricket with aplomb, adding a lot of value to the team with skill-sets with the bat and ball.
Roger represented India in 27 Test matches, taking 47 wickets at an impressive average of 32.63. His best bowling figures were 6/56. He had a total of two five-wicket hauls in his bowling kitty in Tests. He also scored 830 runs in 27 Tests. In 41 Test innings, Binny also scored five half-centuries, with his best score being an unbeaten 83. Binny’s knock of 83 came against Pakistan in Bengaluru in 1983, during which he joined forces with Madan Lal to guide India to a healthy first-innings score. The all-rounder also represented Team India in a total of 72 ODIs, taking 77 wickets. His best bowling figures are 4/29. He has a total of three four-wicket hauls in ODIs. He was also a very useful batter down the order, scoring 629 runs. He scored a half-century in 49 innings, with best score of 57. Binny was part of India’s famed ODI squads, which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup and the 1985 World Championship of Cricket.
The all-rounder was also the leading wicket-taker in the 1983 World Cup, taking 18 scalps at an average of 18.66 in eight matches. His best bowling figures were 4/29. Binny finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the 1985 World Championship of Cricket, taking nine wickets in four matches, with best figures of 4/35.
