Pakistan in mourning after ‘cricketing hero’ Hanif Mohammad dies

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Hanif Mohammad.

    Pakistan has lost its first true cricket superstar after Hanif Mohammad died aged 81 on Thursday.

    Hanif, who played 55 Tests for Pakistan, succumbed to a long battle with lung cancer at the Agha Khan hospital in Karachi.

    He scored 3915 runs with 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries as he finished his career with an impressive average of 43.98.

    Hanif holds the record of Pakistan’s highest Test score by an individual, the 337 he scored against West Indies in Barbados in 1958 one of the longest innings in Test history at 970 minutes.

    PCB chairman Shaharyar Mohammad Khan, executive committee Najam Sethi and COO Subhan Ahmad have offered their heartfelt condolences to the Mohammad family, through Hanif’s son Shoaib Mohammad.

    “The entire cricketing fraternity, in this country and all over the cricketing world, is in mourning over the sad demise of Hanif Mohammad. His legend shall live forever”, PCB chief Khan said.

    “I join the Mohammad family in mourning the loss of one of the greatest cricketing heroes that this country has produced. His sublime technical skill, his unflappable temperament and his resolve and staying power in all conditions were most remarkable and won plaudits for him and for Pakistan. May the Almighty bless his soul.”

    PCB exec comitte chairman Sethi  added: “Pakistan has lost a cricketing hero today. Hanif was a true great of the game, one of the greatest batsmen in test history and a wonderful person. He will be sadly missed.

    “The entire PCB family expresses its deepest sorrow and sympathies to the Mohammad family, through Hanif’s eldest son Shoaib Mohammad, on the great legend’s passing away.”

    Another Pakistani great Javed Miandad said world cricket is poorer without Hanif because he was one of those rare cricketers who are an institution.

    “The cricket world needs to respect heroes like Hanif because they are an institution themselves. I would urge the youngsters to learn from their heroes just like we did from people like Hanif. He was a great cricketing brain and this is an immense loss for Pakistan cricket,” Javed said.

    Meanwhile, another former great Zaheer Abbas also described Hanif as his “hero”, saying: “Hanif was my inspiration and my hero. I always wanted to become a batsman like him,”

    The likes of Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar and other international stars took to social media to share their condolences.

    Recommended