Published: Dec 21, 2014, 12:03 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 21, 2016, 03:26 PM (IST)
Hanif Mohammad, born on December 21, 1934, is one of the greatest batsmen to have played for Pakistan. Having played their inaugural Test, Hanif went on to become Pakistan’s leading cricketing figure in their early years at the highest level. Hanif is one of the four brothers to have played Test cricket for Pakistan. Nishad Pai Vaidya finds 12 things you should know about the original Little Master.
1. Born in Junagadh
Hanif was born in the Indian city of Junagadh in Gujarat in 1934. He was his parent’s third child after Wazir and Raees. His younger brothers Mushtaq and Sadiq were also born in Junagadh. When British India was partitioned in 1947, the Mohammad’s migrated to Pakistan and settled in Karachi.
2. Coached by Abdul Aziz Durani
As a youngster, Hanif honed his skills under the tutelage of Abdul Aziz Durani, an Afghan who had represented India in unofficial Tests. Like Hanif and his family, Durani had moved to Karachi from the Gujarati city of Jamnagar. Durani’s son, Salim, went on to play for India in the 1960s and 70s.
3. First-Class debut against the Marylebone Cricket Club
When the Marylebone Cricket Club toured Pakistan in 1951, Hanif made his First-Class debut against them for Bahawalpur and Karachi. He was only 16 then. For that game, he was the designated wicketkeeper. Opening the batting, he scored 26 in the first innings.
4. Five brothers
Hanif’s eldest brother, Wazir also played for Pakistan, having made his Test debut in 1952, during Pakistan’s inaugural series in India. His younger brothers Mushtaq and Sadiq also followed in their footsteps in the years to follow. In fact, Hanif, Mushtaq and Sadiq played one Test together, in 1969 against New Zealand. Unfortunately, Raees never played for Pakistan.
5. Working under Alf Gover
Stuart Wark wrote in ESPNCricinfo, that a young Hanif was sent to England to work with Alf Gover in his cricket school. Gover was amazed by Hanif’s technique and did not ask him to make any alterations.
6. Youngest to score two centuries in a First-Class match
During Pakistan’s tour to India in 1952, the 17-year-old Hanif scored 121 and 109 not out against North Zone. He is the youngest man to score two centuries in a First-Class match.
7. Passing the baton to the brother
In 1969, the youngest of the Mohammad brothers, Sadiq was picked to play for Pakistan against New Zealand. He made his Test debut in the first game in Karachi. Opening the batting with Hanif, he scored 69. They put up 55 runs together. In the second innings, they had a better stand having partnered each other for a 75 runs. That was Hanif’s last Test and Sadiq carried the legacy thereafter.
8. The Original Little Master
Hanif is acknowledged as the original Little Master; Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar came much later. Hanif recalled an incident where Sir Don Bradman was surprised by his short stature. In an interview with Rediff, Hanif said, “When I went to Australia in 1965, Bradman came to see me and was surprised to see my size. Bradman thought he would see a six feet six inch man who would have broken the record.”
9. Longest innings by time in Test cricket
During Pakistan’s tour to West Indies in 1958, Hanif scored a triple century in Barbados, which remains the longest innings by time in Test cricket. When Pakistan were made to follow-on facing a deficit of 473 runs, Hanif gritted it out for 970 minutes to churn out 337 runs in a marathon match-saving effort. It also remains the highest individual score for Pakistan in Test cricket.
10. Run out for 499
Hanif could have been the first man to score 500 in a First-Class innings, but fate had other plans. Hanif had sped away past 453 to break Bradman’s record of 452 and was trying to go the distance. He was on 498, but the scoreboard erroneously showed that his score was 496. There were only two balls remaining and he thought he should try to get the remaining runs as he felt a declaration was in store. Hanif hit one through the off-side and was looking to regain strike when he was run-out. It was only later that he found that he was out on 499.
11. Son and grandson also cricketers
Hanif’s son Shoaib played 45 Tests and 63 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Though he had a better Test average, 44.34 when compared to his father’s 43.98, Shoaib always lived in the shadow of his father. Shoaib’s son, Shehzar is a young cricketer in Pakistan. He plays for the Pakistan International Airlines.
12. The namesake
Hanif has a namesake in Bangladesh, who played cricket. The Bangladeshi Hanif Mohammad played only one List A game for Chittagong Division in 2002 as a wicketkeeper.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
