10 September,2009 07:27 AM IST | | Clayton Murzello
Sunil Gavaskar has lost another batting partner. This time it is South African Hylton Ackerman, who opened with him for Rest of the World against Australia in 1971-72.
Ackerman (62) died of a kidney ailment in Cape Town.u00a0
"I am sorry to hear he passed away. He was terrific on that tour. We had some great times then and also when we caught up in South Africa when India toured there. May his soul rest in peace," Gavaskar told MiD DAY.
Ashok Mankad (died 2008), Ramnath Parkar (1999), Eknath Solkar (2005) and Raman Lamba (1998) are other Gavaskar partners who are no more. Ackerman held Gavaskar in high esteem. After 1971-72, he was able to catch up with him on India's tours to South Africa in 1996-97 and 2006-07.
Gavaskar attended a charity dinner held for Ackerman in 2006. "This was the second time I met Sunny after that series and we gave each other a huge hug. He is still the same as he was then neat, organised and always very polite," Ackerman said then.
In the 1971-72 Rest of the World series, Gavaskar and Ackerman put on 155 in Sydney.
