Hanif Mohammed

Back in 1962, we were still in that era when there was an element of mystery about the cricketing men from overseas. Twin tours were still quite a way off; overseas players in county cricket had rigid qualification rules to abide by; air travel for all was really just beginning.

That year, it was Pakistan who were the men on English soil. Seemingly small fry compared with Australia or South Africa (please remember the year :-)) but two things stood out. They hadn't toured since 1954 when they had Fazal Mahmood and drew the series. Eight years is a long time when you are still a school- boy, so much so that 1954 was just before my first memories of cricket. Also, they had a superstar in their squad. Hanif Mohammed. Yes, I'd heard of him. Hadn't he scored 337 or some- thing in a test, and wasn't his hooking like greased lightning? I was at the sort of age when you don't realise that cricketers are first and foremost human beings. You do have a few doubts of course, but surely this guy was going to score century after cen- tury in the five test series. Most definitely worth a look at. So what if he had a knee injury and ought never have risked himself on tour in the first place. He could surely bat on one leg if necessary.

The fifth, Oval, test always falls in the long school holidays and you can attend the whole five days if necessary. Which I did in 1962. Unfortunately, Hanif's knee was an awful lot more of a problem than I'd expected, and he'd not made a decent score in any of the other tests. The Pakistan team in that year was rea- sonably strong in batting, but had no bowling at all. England scored about a million for two or three with Cowdrey and Dexter looking like they could have batted for ever had they chosen to.

Then Pakistan went in. Hanif was dropped down the order to six. Some good runs from the top order and then the 'little mas- ter' as he was affectionately known came in. He performed the 'Mohammed twirl' with his bat about two or three times between each delivery (Mushtaq and Sadiq both did this too, but even I was too young to have seen Wazir) and began to show some promis- ing form, injury or no injury. At the end of the day's play he was up to 46* and high hopes of a hundred tomorrow.

Sadly not. England had this big mean quickie called David Larter who hardly got a game in that England team but who would have walked into the current one. Hanif succumbed without addi- tion. Pakistan couldn't score the nine hundred thousand odd to avoid the follow-on and were put in again. They didn't do too well, and Hanif was in again, same day. This time he was out for nought. So, I have had the misfortune of seeing him out twice in the same day of a test without scoring a run.

But he got his revenge in the next series. In a twin tour year, 1968?, he scored 180 in an enormous partnership with a rookie Asif Iqbal. It may even have been the Lords test. His bat looked as broad as the set of stumps. It was a perspective effect of course, but how can that be anyway? He played very straight - so do lots of players, so what? But Hanif not only played straight, he always showed it the *full face* in defence. Then his pad was always very straight and completely adjacent. He didn't grope way forward like some modern day players, but got himself into the best position possible with the minimum of move- ment. I guess posterity will rate him slightly behind Javed Mian- dad, but Hanif was a very similar type of player, at least defen- sively. In attack he had all the shots, but seemed to prefer the back foot as I recall. He'd be well capable of hitting a half- volley through the covers off the back foot, not necessarily orthodox, but very effective.

[As an aside, and back to 1962, the best form batsman in the team was Saeed Ahmed. He was one of those players who found it beneath him to play a dead bat shot. Mid-off and mid-on were always kept honest when Saeed was at the wicket. Supremely elegant player. A bit like Salim Malik, I guess.]

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Typer`s foreword: Taken from the Cricketer (article by Shahid Mahmood) - if anyone finds any discrepancies with the stats etc, then you know whom to blame :-)

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A LEGEND RETIRES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hanif Mohammad was one of the pillars upon whom the structure of the Pakistan cricket rested in the days of its infancy. His sound batting was the source of inspiration for team team, starting its journey on the international front.

Although the great Hanif played his last Test way back in 1969- 70, he remained actively involved with the affairs of the cricket team of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for quite a long time.

And now finally, he has retired from PIA too. So an illustrious career comes to an end, without whose mention Pakistan`s sports history will be deemed incomplete.

having some rest, which I deserve after having played a long in- ning,` Hanif told this correspondent in a telephonic chat, a few days after his formal retirement from PIA, on December 21.

He did not rule out the possibilities of taking a fresh guard and contributing something for his employers (PIA) in an advisory capacity or in any other manner.

in the future. If they would like to acquire my services, I will consider it,` Hanif added.

Hanif will continue coaching at the Defence Stadium, Karachi. He will also continue working for a cricket magazine, of which he happens to be the chief editor.

Talking about cricket magazines, Hanif Mohammad has been one the founders of The Cricketer Pakistan. The `Little Master` was the chief editor of The Cricketer Pakistan since its inception in 1972. He played a long innings here too. His association with this amagzine lasted nearly two decades.

It was the trio of Hanif Mohammad, Riaz Ahmed Mansuri and Gul Hameed Bhatti, which made The Cricketer not only the best cricket magazine of the country, in a very shrt span of time, but they also had the satisfaction of having it referred to as the best cricket magazine of the world.

So hanif`s excellence was not restricted to the cricket field only. After proving his mettle as a world class batsman, he turned out to be a highly successful manager. He played the key role in moulding the PIA team into a formidable outfit.

The Airlines annexed the inaugaral edition of the Wills Cup One- day National Cricket Tournament in 1981. Their team was weakened considerably by the loss of some of the established stars, but they managed to retain the title successfully for the next two years.

Hanif Mohammad`s PIA earned the distinction of winning the pres- tigious WIlls Cup three times in a row. Habib Bank Limited (HBL) snatches the title in 1984, but Hanif`s lads got it back in 1985. PIA became the national One-day chapions yet again in 1987.

Opponents feared the PIA not entirely due to the capabilities of the PIA team. It was Hanif Mohammad`s great cricketing sense which had other departmental teams of the country under consider- able pressure.

Hanif`s one man who understood cricket better than anything else. This qualification of his, enabled him to launch planned attacks against his rivals. His bots were lucky to get handy tips which no one else would have been able to pass on.

Hanif actually educated his boys. Not every cricketer possesses the ability to become an outstanding manager or coach. Hanis has the ability of not only reading the finer points of the game, but he has also been blessed with that rare quality of communicating the same to others.

He commanded respect not only from his contemporaries, but he was accorded even greater respect by the luminaries, who ruled the cricketing world later on. He has been the childhood ideal of so many cricketers.

It was in the fitness of things that The Management of PIA ar- ranged a farewell function in honour of Hanif Mohammad, one of the legendary figures in Pakistan cricket. Unfortunately, due to a combination of factors, it has never been the tradition in this part of the world to honour one who fades away, after being in the limelight for a number of years.

But as Zaheer Abbas, himself one of the greatest batsmen to be produced by the country, noted in his widely read column in the News International, Hanif was lucky.

Mohammad. whose contribution to Pakistan cricket is so immense that really nobody can deny it`

precedent by organiizing a farewell reception for Hanif, in which the Airlines invited former Pakistan teammates specially for this special occasion,` Zaheer observed.

Those who were groomed and gained experience under his guidance. Not many realise the impact Hanif had on the young players of the sixties and seventies,` Zaheer recalled.

Zaheer had reasons to feel sad on this occasion. His first Test was Hanif`s last. Then both of them worked together for a common cause at PIA. Zaheer captained PIA when Hainf was their manager. Zaheer, who has learnt a great deal from Hanif, has been generous enough to concede it.

Another former Pakistan and PIA cricketer, Salahuddin Ahmed, `Sallu` also showered Hanif with praise in his newspaper article. `He was not only a great cricketer but also a very knowledgable one`. These qualities combine but rarely in a cricketer and when they do he shines as a gem,` wrote Sallu, who has the privilege of playing with him in first-class cricket, Test cricket as well as in the Scottish League.

made him the scourge of speed mercahnts like Wes Hall and Roy Gilchrist. Facing these fierce bowlers on a matting wicket and in the Caribbean Islands where the pitches were steamrolled, was a challenge only Hanif could successfully surmount.` Sallu remarked.