The legend will live on

Pakistan’s first batting great Hanif Mohammad passed away on August 11 after a long battle with lung cancer. Known the world over as Little Master due to his batting talent, skill and determination, coupled with his short frame, Hanif made a global impact with his mastery of arguably the toughest skill in the game — opening the innings in Test cricket. His proudest moment came in the 1958 Barbados Test where he batted for three days to save the match against West Indies, scoring a monumental 337, an innings that spanned 970 minutes, still the record for the longest innings in Test cricket while his score remains the highest in a Test innings by a batsman batting in an away Test. That innings catapulted him to the status of a superstar. His reputation for playing long innings defying credulity and setting world records was further cemented when he scored the then highest first class score of 499 in 1959.

Hanif was the eldest of a family of four illustrious brothers who represented Pakistan at the Test level with great distinction. His son Shoaib also played Test cricket for Pakistan and just like his father, was known for his stoic defence. Tributes have poured in from around the world after his demise, including from Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Azharuddin, who all hailed his batting genius, proving that Hanif was admired greatly all around the world and especially across the border.

After the end of his career, Hanif continued to serve Pakistan cricket in various capacities and also coached many young cricketers. A legion of Pakistan’s batting greats, including Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Inzamamul Haq, Saeed Anwar, Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan, considered Hanif an inspiration and sought his advice at various junctures of their careers. Hanif Mohammad’s legend will live forever. Along with the likes of Abdul Hafeez Kardar and Fazal Mahmood, he was one of those who laid the foundations of Pakistan cricket and was one of the first few heroes of a newly formed nation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2016.

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