Former Kerala medium pacer CK Bhaskaran dies at 79

CK Bhaskaran, the former Kerala first-class cricketer who once played an unofficial Test for an Indian team led by Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi against Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in January 1965, has died at the age of 79. Bhaskaran passed away in Houston, USA, where he had practiced medicine for the past many years.

Bhaskaran, born in 1941 in Thalassery, played 42 first-class matches between 1957-58 and 1968-69 as a medium pacer, picking up 106 wickets at an average of 29.05. He had five five-wicket hauls to his name.

That game against Ceylon, in Ahmedabad, was the closest Bhaskaran got to international cricket.

Opening the bowling with Mumbai left-arm medium pacer Umesh Kulkarni, he returned 2 for 35 from ten overs in the Ceylon first innings, and bowled a further eight overs (none for 16) in the second as Pataudi's star-studded team lost by four wickets.