M.E. Pavri

M.E. Pavri

Personal information
Full name	Mehallasha Edulji Pavri
Born	(1866-10-10)10 October 1866 Navsari, Gujarat, India
Died	Bombay, India
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right-arm fast
Role	Bowler
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1892-1913	Parsees
1892	All-India XI
1893	Middlesex
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 26 Runs scored 589 Batting average 15.50 100s/50s 0/1 Top score 69 Balls bowled 2,014 Wickets 44 Bowling average 20.25 5 wickets in innings 2 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 6/36 Catches/stumpings 19/0
Source: Cricinfo, 5 November 2012

Mehallasha Edulji Pavri
Born	10 October 1866 Navsari, Gujarat, India
Died	19 April 1946 Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India
Nationality	India
Occupation	Cricketer, Doctor

Mehallasha Edulji Pavri (10 October 1866 – 19 April 1946 in Navsari, Gujarat, India) was an Indian cricketer, who played 26 first-class matches between 1892 and 1913. He was undoubtedly one of India's greatest cricketers and one of its first ever genuine fast bowlers in its pre-Test era.

He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler, one of the fastest in those times. Most of his first-class cricket was for the Parsees, but he also represented an All-India XI and Middlesex several times.

He made his debut on the Parsee tour to England in 1888, immediately becoming a revelation with his 170 wickets at an average of 11.66, and now he is widely regarded as the first great Indian cricketer.

According to legend, at Eastbourne, he is said to have sent a bail flying 50 yards, while in Norfolk, when he uprooted a stump, it flew nine yards and pitched itself the right way up.

Performances in other notable matches include the Parsees vs Lord Hawke's XI in 1892 which resulted in a narrow Parsi victory and was also the first-ever first-class match staged in the subcontinent. The match was considered as the Cricket Championship of India at that time, and Pavri took 2 wickets for 3 runs in 3 overs and 7/34 in 13.2 overs. The Parsis won match by 4 wickets.

In 1892, he played against Lord Hawke's XI and in a 109-run Parsi win, he took figures of 2/18 and 6/36. He also represented an All-India XI against Lord Hawke's XI in 1892.

He was consistent and a prolific wicket taking attacking bowler, and a decent bat who played in the middle order and had a top first-class score of 69. He also dominated the early years of the Bombay Pentagular Tournament.

He was also a learned scholar and a skilled doctor. He had mastered medicine while studying it in London. After retirement, he not only worked as a doctor but also wrote a very interesting book on Indian cricket, which analysed almost every important aspect and possible improvements of Indian cricket at that time.

External links

• Cricinfo Profile - M.E. Pavri
• CricketArchive Profile - M.E. Pavri