Hanif Mohammad
Encyclopedia
Hanif Mohammad (born 21 December 1934 in Junagadh
) is a former Pakistan
cricket
er. He played for the Pakistani cricket team
in 55 Test matches
between 1952/53 and 1969/70 and averaged
43.98, with twelve hundreds.
The highest of Hanif's Test centuries was a famous 337 made against West Indies
in a six-day test at Bridgetown in 1957/58. After Pakistan found itself following on from a first-innings deficit of 473 runs on the afternoon of the third day, Hanif spent more than sixteen hours at the crease compiling his runs, allowing Pakistan to draw the game. It remains the longest innings in Test history (and stood as the longest in all first-class cricket
for over 40 years). It is the only Test match instance of a triple century in a team's second innings. Displays such as this earned him the nickname "Little Master".
In 1958/59, he surpassed Don Bradman's record for the highest individual first-class innings. Hanif made 499 before being run out attempting his five hundredth run; this mark stood for more than 35 years before being eclipsed by Brian Lara
in 1994. In all he made 55 first-class centuries and finished with a strong first-class career average of 52.32. He could bowl with either arm, and kept wicket on a number of occasions.
Hanif's career lasted until 1975/76, but he never played in the English County Championship
, although he did have a single outing for the Northamptonshire
Second XI in August 1965 whilst preparing for his appearance for a Rest of the World XI against England
at the Scarborough Festival a few days later. 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.
In a Test match against Australia, Hanif scored a century in the first innings. In the second innings he was wrongly given stumped out by Barry Jarman off the bowling of Tom Veivers for 93, just 7 runs shy of his second century in the Test. Hanif respected the umpire's decision. Later in a press conference Jarman admitted that Hanif was not out.
Many of Hanif's brothers and son were also cricketers: his brothers Mushtaq
, Sadiq
and Wazir
all played Tests for Pakistan, as did his son Shoaib
, another brother Raees was once twelfth man for Pakistan, and four nephews had first-class careers. His mother Ameer Bee was a national badminton
champion in pre-independence India.
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
) is a former Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He played for the Pakistani cricket team
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
in 55 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
between 1952/53 and 1969/70 and averaged
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
43.98, with twelve hundreds.
The highest of Hanif's Test centuries was a famous 337 made against West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
in a six-day test at Bridgetown in 1957/58. After Pakistan found itself following on from a first-innings deficit of 473 runs on the afternoon of the third day, Hanif spent more than sixteen hours at the crease compiling his runs, allowing Pakistan to draw the game. It remains the longest innings in Test history (and stood as the longest in all first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for over 40 years). It is the only Test match instance of a triple century in a team's second innings. Displays such as this earned him the nickname "Little Master".
In 1958/59, he surpassed Don Bradman's record for the highest individual first-class innings. Hanif made 499 before being run out attempting his five hundredth run; this mark stood for more than 35 years before being eclipsed by Brian Lara
Brian Lara
Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
in 1994. In all he made 55 first-class centuries and finished with a strong first-class career average of 52.32. He could bowl with either arm, and kept wicket on a number of occasions.
Hanif's career lasted until 1975/76, but he never played in the English County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, although he did have a single outing for the Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
Second XI in August 1965 whilst preparing for his appearance for a Rest of the World XI against England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
at the Scarborough Festival a few days later. 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
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
and Javed Miandad
Javed Miandad
Mohammad Javed Miandad Khan , popularly known as Javed Miandad , is a former Pakistani cricketer who played between 1975 and 1996. He is Pakistan's leading run scorer in Test cricket. He has served as a captain of the Pakistan national cricket team...
among the inaugural batch of 55 inductees into the ICC
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
's Hall of Fame.
In a Test match against Australia, Hanif scored a century in the first innings. In the second innings he was wrongly given stumped out by Barry Jarman off the bowling of Tom Veivers for 93, just 7 runs shy of his second century in the Test. Hanif respected the umpire's decision. Later in a press conference Jarman admitted that Hanif was not out.
Many of Hanif's brothers and son were also cricketers: his brothers Mushtaq
Mushtaq Mohammad
Mushtaq Mohammad is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 57 Tests and 10 ODIs from 1959 to 1979. A right-handed batsman and a leg-spinner, he is one of the most successful Pakistani all-rounders and went on to captain his country in nineteen Test matches...
, Sadiq
Sadiq Mohammad
Sadiq Mohammad is a former Pakistani cricketer and younger brother of the great Pakistani batsmen Hanif and Mushtaq. His Test debut was the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in 1969, and he played his final Test in the 4th Test against the West Indies in 1981. He played county cricket...
and Wazir
Wazir Mohammad
Wazir Mohammad is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 20 Tests from 1952 to 1959....
all played Tests for Pakistan, as did his son Shoaib
Shoaib Mohammad
Shoaib Mohammad is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 45 Tests and 63 ODIs from 1983 to 1995.Shoaib is the son of former Pakistani cricketer Hanif Mohammad. Shoaib was a right-handed batsmen who represented the country until the mid 1990s...
, another brother Raees was once twelfth man for Pakistan, and four nephews had first-class careers. His mother Ameer Bee was a national badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
champion in pre-independence India.