Transitions: Legendary cricket commentator dies, aged 84

Muneer Hussain’s pioneering career spans three decades.

KARACHI:

Muneer Hussain, the most famous cricket voice and a man credited with pioneering Urdu language commentary, has died after a prolonged illness, his family said on Monday.

The 84-year-old became a national legend for millions of people through his more than three decades of delivering commentary in Urdu, allowing those less versed in English to gain a greater understanding of cricket.

Muneer played a single first-class match representing Balochistan but took up commentary in the early 1970s after failing to make a big impact as a player.

He was a widely travelled commentator, doing stints in the World Cups between 1975 and 2003 as well as travelling to all the major cricket playing nations.

He also edited an Urdu language monthly cricket magazine, widely popular among the fans of the game, from 1977 to 2010.

Pakistan Cricket Board and leading players sent tributes following Muneer’s death, describing his passing as “a hard to fill void”.

Former skipper Javed Miandad said Muneer was a credit to the game. “Hussain had a fan following of his own and served the game with distinction,” said Miandad.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th, 2013.