Padmashree Bishan Singh Bedi - Sikhs The Supreme

One of the finest spin bowlers in the world, S. Bishan Singh Bedi, born on Sept. 25, 1946 at Amritsar and an alumni of Khalsa College Amritsar, has MANY DISTINCTIONS and FIRSTS to his credit. He captained the India cricket team in 22 Tests in a row which was a RECORD in itself. Second to him was Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi who led the team in 21 Tests. He is also the ONLY Indian bowler to claim over 1560 wickets in first class cricket. At one time he was FIFTH biggest wicket taker in the world. Had he not been sidelined unceremoniously by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, he would have become the top wicket-taker in the world.

Bedi always stood for the principles of morality, merit and sportsmanship and dared to attack those to whom he found fallen from these principles. May 11 would be remembered as red letter day for Asia as on this day Mr. Bedi earned the rare honour of being the FIRST Asian to address the United Nations. The Mighty Sikhs / 173 He spoke from the United Nations platform in New York against racial segregation in sports practised by South Africa. After delivering speech he was introduced as "ONE OF THE FINEST SPIN BOWLERS IN THE WORLD" by the then Nigerian Chairman of the Committee.

Bedi was a bowler of extra-ordinary potential with extraordinary sight whose bowling baffled many great batsmen in the world, and razed to dust the reputation of some of them. It is said that Bedi finished the career of some fine cricketers prematurely. Great cricketers like Australia's Doung Walters found himself many times helpless before Bedi. After getting recognition on state and zone level, he rose at the national platform. But he was put to several tests of playing against a very strong team like West Indies. In second Test played at Calcutta from Dec. 31, 1966 to Jan. 5, 1967, though India lost, Bedi won the hearts of both the spectators and selectors. From then he started to scale the ladder of success.

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