Former Pakistan batsman Hanif Mohammad passes away

Hanif Mohammad, one of Pakistan’s best batsmen of yesteryear has passed away at the age of 81 at Karachi’s Aga Khan hospital. Earlier today, Hanif was presumed dead after his heart stopped for almost six minutes. This was announced rather prematurely to the world as many former cricketers began to send their condolences via social media handles Twitter and Facebook.

However, as luck had it, the Pakistan Cricket Board and Hanif Mohammad’s son confirmed that the Pakistan legend was still alive. However, at around 5:00 pm local time, the doctors at the Aga Khan hospital confirmed the death of the former Pakistani batsman. He was 81 at the time of his death. Moreover, the former batsman had been diagnosed with lung cancer and it was the complications from the disease that eventually attributed to his eventual demise. Hanif received treatment for his cancer in London shortly after contracting it in 2013.

Although he played at a time when Pakistan cricket was in its infancy, Hanif played 55 Test matches in a career that spanned almost 17 years. His brothers barring one played Test cricket for Pakistan. Moreover, the fact that his brothers also played one of the first 101 Test matches for Pakistan is something certainly extraordinary.

Hanif was born in Junagadh in the Indian state of Gujarat. He and his four brothers emigrated to the Pakistan side of the border following the partition of India. He was 13 years old at this time. He was known for his impressive defensive technique, something that many Pakistan batsmen after him made an effort to imitate. He scored 3915 runs at an average of 43.98.

Also read – 15 Interesting facts about Hanif Mohammad – The Timeless Little Master

However, Hanif has and always will be remembered for his epic knock of 337 against the West Indies in Barbados in Pakistan’s 1957-58 tour of the West Indies. This innings was compiled in 970 minutes and remains to be the longest Test match innings of all time. After retiring as an international cricketer, Hanif co-founded the magazine The Cricketer Pakistan in 1972, which he edited for two decades.