Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was one of India’s greatest captains, having played 46 Tests. (Source: AP Photo)

Saif Ali Khan, the veteran Bollywood actor and the son of former India captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, revealed how former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott had once doubted the visual impairment of his father.

The Nawab of Pataudi played 46 Tests for India between 1961 and 1975 and led India in 40 of them, securing the country’s first series win abroad in 1967 in New Zealand. He scored 2,793 runs at an average of 34.91 with six centuries and 16 half-centuries.

‘Tiger’ Pataudi, who passed away on September 22, 2011, was an adventurous batsman and an excellent fielder during his playing career. He played most of it without his right eye, which he lost in a car accident in England in 1961.

During an interview with Sportskeeda, Saif mentioned how Boycott’s remarks about his father had agitated him.

“Boycott, who I really looked up to, made me really angry one day. He said, ‘I heard about your father, it’s not possible to play Test cricket with one eye.’ I asked him if he thinks my father is lying, to which he replied, ‘Yes! I think he’s making it up,” said Saif.

“I told my father that, and he got really annoyed. He said, ‘Well, I was bloody good with two eyes. I’m just good with one.’ That was the only arrogant remark I ever heard him make.”

The 49-year-old actor also spoke about his father’s carefree attitude and how he saw cricket just as a sport.

“If he didn’t want to tour, he would say he wasn’t available. He said it was a game and he was losing interest in the game in the ’60s because he thought there was too much cricket,” he said.