KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan on Wednesday visited the residence of cricket legend Hanif Mohammad to condole his death with his family members. Hanif died last week in a Karachi hospital after a prolonged illness. Former Pakistan batsman Hanif, player of the world’s longest Test innings, was 81. He was famous for his dogged batting in Pakistan’s nascent years in international cricket, having opened as a schoolboy for the country’s first Test against India in Delhi in 1952. Speaking on the occasion, Shaharyar said that due to his visit abroad he could not attend the funeral of Hanif whose services for the country in the realm of sports were second to non. “The vacuum created by Hanif death is difficult to fill,” he said and added that Hanif never accepted defeat. Shaharyar sympathized with the family members of Hanif urging them to bear this irreparable loss with patient.
Short in stature Hanif – one of four brothers who played for Pakistan and a former national team captain – hit a still unbeaten record of 337 in a marathon 970-minute stay at the crease against the West Indies in Barbados in 1958. That record earned him the epithet of “Little Master”, which stayed with him for an illustrious career that lasted until 1970 during which he played 55 Tests. Mohammad surpassed Donald Bradman’s record for the highest first class innings, scoring 499 for Karachi against Bahawalpur in January 1959 – a record which West Indian Brian Lara broke by scoring 500 not out for Warwickshire county against Durham in 1994.
Mohammad died while under treatment at the private Aga Khan hospital after suffering multiple breathing and liver problems, having undergone an operation for liver cancer three years ago. Mohammad’s three brothers – Wazir, Mushtaq and Sadiq, as well as his son Shoaib – also played for Pakistan. Born in Junagadh, Hanif scored 3,915 runs at an average of 43.98. He still holds the record for highest score (337) in an innings by a Pakistani batsman, followed by Inzamamul Haq (329) and Younus Khan (313). He was also named as Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968.