Name:

Hanif Mohammad

Nickname:

Little Master

Date of Birth:

21 Dec 1934

Gender:

Male

Place of Birth:

Junagadh

Career:

Test: 1952 - 1969
First Class: 1951 - 1975

Teams:

Pakistan (Country)

1958 3rd Test: Sobers smashes 365 against Pakistan

Hanif Mohammad: Run machine and stylish opening batsman

Born : 21 December 1934 at Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Hanif Mohammad was a disciplined, patient opener with a solid technique who was the first great Pakistan batsman and was known as the 'Little Master'.

In November 1951 he made his first-class debut for Pakistan against MCC at Lahore, opening the batting against Brian Statham and Derek Shackleton, and staying two and three-quarter hours for 26.

He made his Test debut in Pakistan's first ever Test against India in 1952. He was the then youngest Test debutant at 17 years and 300 days. Hanif dominated Pakistan cricket and played in 55 of its first 57 Test matches.

Hanif made his first Test century – 142 in seven hours 48 minutes – against India at Bahawalpur in January 1955.

He played two of the most astonishing innings ever played.

In 1958, he batted for over 16 hours, scoring 337, to save a Test against West Indies at Bridgetown. This set a record for the longest innings in Test cricket. At the end of day three Hanif was unbeaten on 61, moved onto 161 at the end of the fourth day and 270 at the end of the fifth, before falling 27 runs short of Len Hutton's then Test record of 364.

In 1959, he broke Sir Don Bradman's record for the highest score in first-class cricket with 499 (run out) for Karachi against Bahawalpur at Karachi. With two balls left of the third day he was on 498, but the ground scoreboard had not updated, and showed his score as 496 instead. He played the ball past point, and after completing the first run, decided to go for the second, intending to keep the strike, and was run out by more than a yard.

One of Hanif’s most defiant performances was against Australia at Karachi on December 8 1959, the only day in the history of Test cricket watched by an incumbent President of the United States. President Eisenhower donned a Pakistani blazer and tie for the occasion; his reward was to see the home side spending the entire day making 104 runs. Hanif was 40 not out at stumps and duly completed his century the next day.

He was also a useful wicket-keeper at first-class and Test level, and remarkably, could bowl with either arm. He belonged to an extraordinarily successful cricketing family. His brothers Wazir, Mushtaq and Sadiq all represented Pakistan with distinction, as did his son Shoaib.

Hanif played in 239 first-class matches, scoring 17,059 runs (including 55 centuries) at an average of 52.32. He also took 53 wickets at 28.50 apiece with his occasional off-breaks.

In 55 Tests, he made 3,915 runs (with 12 centuries) at an average of 43.98.

In retirement, Hanif worked for Pakistan International Airways and regularly commentated on Test matches in Pakistan. He helped found the Pakistan Cricketer magazine, editing it for two decades.

Hanif died aged 81 on August 11, 2016 in Karachi.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter