12 August,2026 09:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Bipin Dani
Late Hanif Mohammad and his son Shoaib
Tuesday, 11th August, marked the 10th death anniversary of Pakistan's âLittle Master' Hanif Mohammad, who scored 3915 runs in 55 Tests at an impressive average of 43.98.
Earning the nickname for his short stature - standing at just 5 feet 3 inches - Hanif possessed immense batting skill, brilliant focus and technical prowess at the crease. He also played the longest Test innings across 970 minutes, scoring 337 against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58, inspiring generations with his unmatched and emerging as a symbol of Pakistan's cricketing pride in its formative years. His son, former Test cricketer Shoaib Mohammad, however, remains disappointed that his father, who passed away at the age of 81, has not yet received due credit for his effort.
"Perhaps he [Hanif] is the only Pakistani cricketer for whom even Great Britain's flag was half-mast, which is mostly done for royalty and only after the Queen's consent. Such was his recognition, rare and historic, transcending boundaries," Shoaib tells mid-day, going on to reflect his disappointment: "It's a pity though that no ground has been allocated in Pakistan under my father's name yet. Imagine the prestige and honour he brought for Pakistan with
his world records."
A year after his marathon 337, Hanif went on to score what was the highest first-class innings then, 499, before he was run out.
