Geoffrey Boycott thought MK Pataudi's visual impairment was play-act: Saif Ali Khan

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi is a cherished name in the cricketing history, He featured in 46 Tests for India and led his country in 40 of the matches.

MK Pataudi scored 2,793 runs in his career which includes six hundreds. He is also recognized for leading India to its maiden series victory overseas when they won the 4 match Test series against New Zealand.

What makes Pataudi’s career more special was the fact that he played most of his matches without sight in his right eye. He lost his one eye in a car accident in 1961.

Be that as it may, former England skipper Geoffrey Boycott was not able to accept this fact. Pataudi’s son, Saif Ali Khan let out that Boycott had lack of certainty with regard to the fact that Pataudi could not see from his right eye. During an interview, Saif said that former England skipper’s remarks made him ‘really angry’.

“Boycott, who I really looked up to, made me really angry one day. He said, ‘I heard about your father, it’s not possible to play Test cricket with one eye.’ I asked him if he thinks my father is lying, to which he replied, ‘Yes! I think he’s making it up,” said Saif.

“I told my father that, and he got really annoyed. He said, ‘Well, I was bloody good with two eyes. I’m just good with one.’ That was the only arrogant remark I ever heard him make.”

Saif also spoke about his father’s outlook towards the sport. He said that Pataudi felt too much cricket was being played in the 60s and was losing interest because of that.

“If he didn’t want to tour, he would say he wasn’t available. He said it was a game and he was losing interest in the game in the ’60s because he thought there was too much cricket,” he said.

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