Former England Test batter was also a long-serving administrator and ICC match referee.
The 92-year-old former England opener and ICC match referee Raman Subba Row also had a lengthy career in cricket administration.
Between 1958 and 1961, Subba Row played 13 Test matches for England, amassing three hundreds and an average of 46.85. At the age of 29, he announced his retirement from the game following his final international match. After founding a public relations company, he maintained his connection to cricket by chairing Surrey and working to create the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), which was the precursor to the ECB.
He was the oldest living man to play Test cricket for England before his death.
“The news of Raman’s passing deeply saddens us,” ECB chair Richard Thompson stated. He was a wonderful cricket player who enjoyed success in all facets of the game, including as a player, official, administrator, and chair of the Surrey, Test, and County Cricket Boards. We would like to express our profound condolences to Raman’s friends and family during this difficult time, and our sport owes him a great deal of thanks on behalf of the ECB.”
Subba Row, a Streatham native, made his Surrey debut in 1953 as a member of Stuart Surridge’s squad that won seven consecutive County Championships. In 1955, he went to join Northamptonshire, and the following summer, he made his England debut against New Zealand before being appointed captain in 1958.
He was unable to play in the 1958–59 Ashes due to a finger injury, but by 1961, he had established himself in the team for Australia’s visit. He scored hundreds in the first and fifth Tests, helping England to a 2-2 draw.
During his 10 years and two hundred and sixty matches in the first class, Subba Row amassed over fourteen thousand runs and claimed eighty-seven wickets with his legspin.
Following his playing retirement, he played a pivotal role in the growth of Surrey’s and The Oval’s commercial divisions and paved the way for the establishment of the TCCB, of which he presided over as chairman from 1985 to 1990, to oversee the English game. In 1981–82, he managed England’s tour to India and Sri Lanka as well.
He received a CBE in 1991 for his contributions to cricket. He officiated 41 Test matches and 119 One-Day Internationals for the Indian Cricket Team between 1992 and 2001.
“It is sad to hear of Raman’s passing and I would like to extend deepest condolences on behalf of everyone at the ICC,” stated Wasim Khan, general manager of cricket at the ICC.
“Raman was a respected cricketer of his era, who went on to become the chair of the Test and County Cricket Board. He was also one of the earliest ICC match referees, officiating very ably in different parts of the world.”