NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan described Mansur Ali Khan, the former Indian captain who died on Thursday, as a cricketer who was also a crowd puller.

Imran said he was devastated at the news of Pataudi’s death.

“I am devastated, I had no idea he was in hospital ... he was a contemporary of my cousin Javed Burki, and what I heard from my cousins, and from his contemporaries, was that had he not lost his eye apparently, he was a genius of great proportions.” Imran remarked.

“Anyone who knows batting, knows that it’s difficult to play with one eye, specially [to play] fast bowling. What he achieved with one eye, the sort of ability he had, what sort of a player he could have become... In Pakistan, to us he was also a cricketer who was a crowd puller.”

Indian cricket board president Narainswamy Srinivasan said Pataudi guided Indian cricket to unprecedented level. “He was an exemplary individual who guided Indian cricket to unprecedented heights, as batsman, fielder and captain.”

Gundappa Viswanath, a stylish batsman who scored a century on his debut against Australia in Pataudi’s captaincy in 1969 and went on to become one of India’s best batsmen of the era along with Sunil Gavaskar, credited Pataudi for his success.

“It is a terrible news for me. He brought me up and guided me,” Viswanath said. “I can’t even express myself, it is one of my saddest days. He was a great human being, a great cricketer, a great fielder, shrewd captain. It is really sad.”

Gavaskar said in a statement that he was surprised to hear of Pataudi’s death after meeting him just last month.

“Only a few weeks ago we saw him in England at the presentation of the Pataudi Trophy [given to the winner of the India-England Test series] and he looked his usual self,” Gavaskar said. “Therefore, to get this news is a shock.”

Batting greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and former captain Saurav Ganguly were among others to offer condolences.