Khalid “Billy” Ibadulla died on July 12, 2024, aged 88. Despite scoring a hundred on Test debut, he played only four times for Pakistan, though he played domestic cricket in three overseas nations. He was remembered in the 2025 edition of the Wisden Almanack.
KHALID IBADULLA, who died on July 12, aged 88, had a long county career with Warwickshire, then remained involved in cricket as an umpire and a renowned coach. He was universally popular, a tribute to his sunny disposition. “He was always in the game,” said his long-time county captain MJK Smith. “He started bowling off-cutters, then seamers, and even had a part-season with leg-breaks. Opening the innings in 1962, he scored 2,000 runs, and was a fearless short leg. So often his type are called bits-and-pieces cricketers, but really they are the link men who bind the specialists together.”
Born in Lahore, the youngest of six, Ibadulla first came to England as a 17-year-old in 1953 with the Pakistan Eaglets (the equivalent of a modern A-team). He was not outshone when opening with the future Test regular Alimuddin, but was overlooked for the following year’s full tour, which included his country’s first Tests in England. “I was so disappointed, and it had a huge effect on my life,” he said. “I left Pakistan and decided to become a professional in county cricket.” With about £4 in his pocket, Ibadulla headed for Birmingham – and stayed. The locals dubbed him Billy. He had to endure a three-year qualification period, but was finally able to play in the Championship in 1957, beginning a career that brought 14,766 first-class runs and 418 wickets for Warwickshire.
An early highlight was 170 not out at The Oval in 1960, when he shared an unbroken opening stand of 377 – still a Warwickshire record – with Norman Horner, who made 203. A newcomer that day was 17-year-old Dennis Amiss, destined to become a regular teammate: “It was incredible to watch – they declared at 377, and my debut was recorded as ‘did not bat’. He had an infectious laugh, I can hear it now. He was a wonderful cricketer and mentor. We all wanted Billy’s opening spot, but he wasn’t going to let it go easily. He kept me waiting a few years before he moved down the order and I got my chance.”
Ibadulla’s 2,098 runs in 1962 included six centuries; he reached 1,000 in five other summers, and 800 in five more. His best season with the ball was 1957, when he picked up 54 wickets, and ten years later he took 7-22 as Derbyshire were bowled out for 79 at Chesterfield. He also proved useful in the new-fangled one-day competition, with 5-34 at Northampton in 1964 and a notable double of 75 and 6-32 against Hampshire the following season. In 1966, he picked up two wickets and two catches in the Lord’s final as Warwickshire beat Worcestershire to lift the Gillette Cup for the first time.
By then, Ibadulla had enjoyed a taste of international cricket, after being called up for a one-off Test against Australia at Karachi in October 1964, despite not having played domestic cricket in Pakistan for more than ten years. He made it count with 166, and shared an opening stand of 249 with Abdul Kadir. It remains the highest partnership in a Test by a pair of debutants. Pakistan were due to tour Australasia soon after, but Ibadulla declined the invitation, as the fee was much lower than an offer to play and coach in Otago in New Zealand. He showed the tourists what they were missing with a century when they visited Dunedin early in 1965, and was drafted in for the Third Test at Christchurch. When Pakistan faced Warwickshire on their 1967 tour, Ibadulla dismissed their captain, Hanif Mohammad, for a duck – and was recruited for the First Test at Lord’s a few days later. He played in the Second as well, without much success. At international level, that was his lot.
Ibadulla’s county career was winding down by 1972, and he played only seven matches as Warwickshire won the Championship for the first time in 21 years. He moved seamlessly into coaching, and fitted in two seasons on the first-class umpires’ panel in England. By chance, he had a day off in May 1982 and went to Worcester, where Glenn Turner, whose career he had kick-started in New Zealand, reached his 100th first-class century: Ibadulla brought him out a drink to celebrate. “I was in the latter nineties for about five overs, before I got the three that took me to 102,” recalled Turner. “It did give Billy time to find the appropriate white waiter’s coat, to make his appearance at the wicket with two double gin and tonics.” The alcohol did him no harm: he went on to 311 not out.
Turner had been intensively coached by Ibadulla after his arrival in Otago in the mid-1960s (relishing the trout fishing in the area, he made it his permanent home in 1976). “Billy was ideally equipped to introduce me to the side of cricket other than the basic skills – the psychological side, if you like,” wrote Turner. “I was able to listen to someone who could speak of famous players first-hand.” Among other locals who came under Ibadulla’s wing were Ken Rutherford and Chris Cairns, while Brendon McCullum sought him out after becoming a Test player in 2004. “There were a number of things which were completely wrong – and yet the lad obviously had a lot of ability,” said Ibadulla. “I had to correct some things the way I would correct an 11-year-old. To his credit he got everything sorted out, but the main thing was the forward straight-bat play.”
Another pupil was Kassem, one of Ibadulla’s three children. He scored two centuries for Otago, and had a few matches for Gloucestershire in the late 1980s. “His private coaching had a great range of students,” Kassem recalled. “Some weren’t the most gifted, but by the end of the winter they’d be playing better cricket. He always wanted people to aspire to be the best they could.”
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