Pakistan Captain Holds Several World Records

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30636, 30 December 1964, Page 7

Pakistan Captain Holds Several World Records

[Specially written [or “The Press” by

NORMAN STANLEY]

QNLY one of the 17 Pakistani cricketers who will tour New Zealand shortly is likely to be well-known by name to local cricket enthusiasts—Hanif Mohammad, who will lead the team and who holds several world records. Inborn genius, monumental patience and correct technique enabled him to bat for as long as 16 hours 39 minutes in the Barbadoes test against the West Indies in 1957-58 and to score 499 (run out) against Bahawalpur in 195859. Thus he has not only played the longest innings in first-class cricket, but the highest as well.

Hanif was born at Junagarh on December 24, 1934, and is the third of five cricketing brothers whose deeds are almost legendary in Pakistan. His overseas tours include England (twice), the West Indies, India (twice), Rhodesia, and East Africa. The last one was made as captain of the P.I.A. (Pakistan International Airlines) team, which included six of the

current touring team. As a batsman, he commands a fine array of strokes, but sometimes retires into a defensive shell when the state of the game demands aggression. Another brake on his progress could be the serious knee injury he suffered two years ago. Not a gambler by nature, and leading Pakistan for the first time on tour, Hanif is likely to eschew adventurous tactics, as he did during the recent Australian Test in Karachi.

In contrast, Saeed Ahmed, the vice-captain, has a mercurial temperament and a reputation for aggressive batting, usipg a full range of strokes. His favourite scoring gambit is a cover drive played in the Dennis Compton manner, with the front foot not quite across to the pitch of the ball, this theoretical handicap being overcome by his lightning reflexes which have made him a heavy scorer for Punjab University, Lahore, Karachi and the P.I.A. This right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler

was born on October 1,-1937, and has toured England, the West Indies, India and Rhodesia.

Javed Burki is a correct right-handed batsman who was born on May 8, 1938. Educated at Punjab University and Oxford University, he returned home to join the Civil Service. With his fine background—his father was a Cabinet Minister—he seemed fitted to lead Pakistan, but after a disastrous tour of England in 1962 he had to step down. Nevertheless, he retained his place at number four in the national team and recently toured Ceylon. Shafqat Rana is an attractive right-handed batsman and a slip fieldsman who was born on August 10, 1943. He was educated at Punjab University and has toured England, Ceylon, Malaysia, and East Africa, the last of these tours being organised by his employers, the P.I.A. Fast, short pitched bowling seems to be his “Achilles’ Heel," but he is likely to bat at number six in the test matches.

Naushad Ali and Abdul Kadir are young righthanded batsmen from Karachi who also keep wicket. Naushad Ali, born on October 1, 1943, and a graduate of Karachi University, toured England in 1963 with the Eaglets, but Abdul Kadir was preferred as wicket-keeper for the Ceylon tour and for the recent Karachi test when he scored 95 in the first innings. However, his performance behind the stumps was less impressive so that a close struggle for the position of “stumper” may take place. Ghulam Abas and Mohammed Ilyas are opening batsmen who will probably have

to bat in the middle order on tour. The former is a lefthanded student from Karachi and the latter is a right-handed batsman and right-arm leg-spinner from Lahore. Both toured Ceylon in August. Intikhab Alam is a legbreak and googly bowler from Karachi who was born on November 6, 1941. He may find New Zealand’s wickets too slow for him, but his hard-hitting, righthanded batting could provide consolation and he can field well anywhere. He has toured England, India, Ceylon and East Africa. Nasimul Ghani is a slow left-arm bowler whose lefthanded batting has improved since he scored a maiden century against England in 1962. His bowling brought him into test cricket at the age of 16 years 248 days (at the time, a world record), but a shoulder injury has lately affected his form. He fields well at short leg and was born on May 14, 1941. Afaq Hussain (a Karachi University graduate employed by P.1.A.) and Masood-ul-Hasan (a Karachi student) are right-arm offbreak bowlers who are useful right-handed batsmen late in the order. Masood is 18 years old and Afaq’s twenty-fifth birthday falls on New Year’s Eve. Pervaiz Sajjad, born on August 30, 1942, is a slow left-arm bowler from Pun-

jab University who toured England and Ceylon before making his test debut in October against Australia. Farooq Hamid, at something above fast-medium when flat out, is Pakistan’s fastest bowler, but his rightarm deliveries are often pitched short enough to endanger skulls more than bails. He has toured England, Ceylon and East Africa and is employed by the P.I.A. He was born on March 3, 1945.

Asif Iqbal is a mediumfast right-arm bowler who has only lived in Pakistan since 1961. Now aged 21, he

emigrated from India and completed his education in Karachi, before joining the P.I.A. His talent had been noticed by the Pakistan team, when he played against them in India, and he has now toured England, East Africa and Ceylon. He made his test debut at Karachi in October and showed that he can bat well and field close to the bat as well as bowl. Arif Butt is a mediumfast right-arm bowler who moves the ball either way in the air and off the pitch. He is a railway employee from Lahore, aged 23, and is a fair right-handed bat. Mufassir-ul-Haq, the me-dium-fast left-arm bowler from Karachi, is something of a surprise selection. A consistent, but not outstanding bowler, his action, untested by first-class umpires outside Pakistan, could provoke uncharitable comment from New Zealand’s umpires.

The two weaknesses which could prove fatal to Pakistan’s test chances are their lack of experience on wet wickets and their moderate fielding. Dry weather, however, should mean heavy scoring by the tourists and plenty of exercise for their opponents in the field.