Hanif Mohammad’s 84th Birthday

Today’s Doodle celebrates cricketer Hanif Mohammad, also known as “The Original Little Master.” The Pakistani batsman set numerous records in Test cricket—the sport’s highest level. He played the longest innings in history (16 hours), was the first Pakistani player to score a triple century, and held the highest individual score of 499 for three decades. He and his record-breaking athleticism are even credited with helping popularize cricket in Pakistan.

Born in Junagadh, India on this day in 1934, Mohammad grew up playing cricket in the street with his brothers. He excelled as a batsman, and after relocating to Pakistan at the age of thirteen, he was mentored by Abdul Aziz, a famous cricket player who recognized his potential. Hanif went on to play for teams representing Bahawalpur, Karachi, and Pakistan International Airlines and made his international debut against India in 1952.



Over the next 17 years, Mohammed played 55 test matches for Pakistan—11 of them as team captain—and scored a total of 3,915 runs. Considered one of the best batsmen ever to play the sport, Mohammad even surpassed the great Don Bradman’s record for the highest individual innings.

Following his retirement, Mohammed took up the position of Pakistan's batting consultant in 2002. Today,his son Shoaib and grandson Shehzar carry on the cricketer family tradition.




Happy Birthday, Hanif Mohammed!


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