Hanif Mohammad: Remembering the "Little Master"

Hanif Mohammad is not a man you want to disappoint. Genial and unassuming, he has a comforting presence that makes you feel at home yet a little obliged to him. The fact that this diminutive man remained the scourge of the most menacing fast bowlers of his time, including Wesley Hall, Charlie Griffith and Freddie Truman, for over two decades is almost impossible to imagine. But there you have it.

When meeting him in person, it is hard to believe that Hanif and the ruthless Little Master of the 1950s and 1960s are one and the same. In his previous incarnation, Hanif earned accolades from the most fastidious critics for his deft late cuts and delectable cover drives. A successful captain as well as a more-than-competent wicketkeeper, he has always been known as a perfectionist when it comes to batting and the techniques of the game. But his need to get it just right does not stem from an inflated ego. Indeed, humility is a virtue Hanif has never shirked, even though it would have been perfectly justifiable for him to throw his weight around. Such is his stature in the game.

Hanif Mohammad made his mark in cricket at a young age, thanks to a few outstanding knocks, and was hailed as a schoolboy prodigy

Easily the first of Pakistan's cricket greats, Hanif, along with Fazl Mahmood, brought recognition to Pakistan as a team and even as a nation wherever the game was played. Born in Junagadh, Gujrat, in 1934, Hanif's family migrated to Pakistan on the eve of Partition and settled down permanently in Karachi. The batsman made his mark in cricket at a young age, thanks to a few outstanding knocks, and was hailed as a schoolboy prodigy. Later, Hanif was coached at the Sindh Madrasah by former All-India wicketkeeper Master Aziz. His early success prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board to send him to the famous Alf Gover school in England, where Gover described him as a batsman of rare quality and admitted that he had little to offer this already refined youngster.

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Making his debut when he was 17 years and 300 days old, Hanif scored a fine half-century against India in New Delhi in 1952. As critics took note of his impressive repertoire of strokes, there was no looking back for the right-handed batsman. His forte was his rock-like defence against the sharpest of bowling attacks and his mastery of technique earned him the moniker Little Master.

During the 1957-1958 tour of the West Indies, Hanif made history by single-handedly eclipsing the highest-ever follow-on total of 473 by scoring a fabulous 337 runs at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. The innings not only achieved an honourable draw for Pakistan but also went into the annals of Test cricket as the longest ever played at a marathon 16 hours and 10 minutes. In 1964, Hanif's brilliant 203 not out against John Reid's Kiwis in Karachi was a true captain's innings and went a long way towards winning the match for Pakistan.

Again, his magnificent 187-run total in 1967 at Lord's is still rated as one of the finest knocks seen at the cricket headquarters. Similarly, in Dacca, where Hanif scored two flawless centuries in the same match against England, fans still talk about the crescendo Hanif's fabulous strokes drew from the crowds. Other illustrious exploits include a world-record first-class score of 499 which stood for 35 years until it was bettered by Brian Lara's 501 for Warwickshire in 1994.

Lavish in his praise for the current Pakistan outfit, Hanif predicts greater heights for Salman Butt, the talented left-handed opener, all-rounder Shoaib Malik and leggie Danish Kaneria. "They are all wonderful players who have the ability to take on the best," he insists. His personal favourites in the side, though, are Inzamamul Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, who he regards as stroke-makers par excellence. Moreover, the camaraderie that is evident among the boys pleases Hanif immensely: "We are a good team today and I give full credit to Inzamam for eliminating dressing room politics and inculcating responsibility and a never-say-die spirit among the boys. This attitude will bring us more success in the future."

This was originally published in the Herald's Annual 2006 issue under the headline, 'Living Legends'. To read more subscribe to the Herald in print.

The writer is a staffer at Dawn Daily