For some time, it looked like Pakistan’s legendary former captain and batsman Hanif Mohammad and Jesus Christ had something in common but that was not the case so.
Hanif returned to life after losing heartbeat for six minutes only to lose his life again six hours later. Hanif’s son Shoaib Muhammad had first announced from the hospital on various television channels that his father had passed away after losing a protracted battle with various ailments. But a few minutes later it was clarified that Hanif was still alive. “His heartbeat had stopped for six minutes but the doctors managed to revive his heartbeat back,” Shoaib said.
But after a few hours, Shoaib confirmed that his father was no more.
Hanif Mohammad, who played the longest innings in Test cricket, when he hit unbeaten record of 337, runs in a marathon 970-minute stay at the crease against the West Indies in Barbados in 1958. The 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 was declared dead after losing battle to cancer. He had been undergoing treatment for respiratory complications from his lung cancer in Karachi’s Aga Khan Hospital.
The 81-year-old was famous for his dogged batting in Pakistan’s nascent years, coming as opening batsman as a schoolboy for the country’s first Test against India in New Delhi in 1952.
The original little Master was a batsman with yogic powers of concentration. During his peak, he was considered to be the best batsmen in the world. His clean, perfect defensive technique is regarded the best till date. His brothers —Mushtaq Mohammad, Sadiq Mohammad and Wazir Mohammad — figured in Tests for Pakistan as did his son, Shoaib Mohammad.
In his 55-Test career, Hanif amassed 3915 runs at an average of 43.98, including 12 hundreds. In a first-class career spanning 238 matches, Hanif scored 17059 runs at an average of 52.32.
Hanif made 499 in domestic cricket before being run out attempting his five hundredth run. This mark stood for more than 35 years before being surpassed by Brian lara in 1994. In all Hanif made 55 first-class centuries and finished with a strong career average of 52.32. Hanif was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968. In January 2009, Hanif was named along with two other Pakistani players — Imran Khan and Javed Miandad — among the inaugural batch of 55 inductees into the ICC’s Hall of Fame.
After retiring as an international cricketer, Hanif co-founded the magazine The Cricketer Pakistan in 1972, which he edited for two decades.
Indian batting legends, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, who is also called ‘little Master’ fondly, were fans of Hanif who himself had repeatedly said he admired their batting and never missed their matches.
Members of the Indian team were always feted by Hanif Muhammad while visiting Pakistan and some years back, the Mumbai Cricket Association had also invited the little master for a function in which Tendulkar was also present.