Hanif’s 10th death anniversary: Pakistan great’s son Shoaib rues no h…

Tuesday, 11th August, marked the 10th death anniversary of Pakistan’s ‘Little Master’ Hanif Mohammad, who scored 3915 runs in 55 Tests at an impressive average of 43.98. saltysenoritaaz.org

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.

Hanif Mohammad’s resting place in Karachi

“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.

Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Farveez Maharoof feels that despite India’s batting vulnerabilities in facing spinners, the Shubman Gill-led side enters the upcoming two-game Test series far better prepared than the hosts.

The two-match Test series between India and Sri Lanka kicks off in Galle on Saturday, with 24 crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points on the line for both teams to boost their chances of entering the final in June 2027. India arrive on the back of beating Sri Lanka Cricket XI in a three-day warm-up game at the NCC Ground, where all squad members got decent bowling and batting time.

“The vulnerability of the Indian batting order and the negativity going around with it, with losing to South Africa at home especially, this is where Sri Lanka can really bounce on if they bring the A game. My concern is that some of the players have not played after the West Indies series because of the LPL straight away and then this Test series.

“So, maybe some of the bowlers will be slightly undercooked when it comes to the workload. I mean, they had at least a couple of weeks to get their workload high and train for a while. But it's nothing like a practice game in my opinion. As far as I know, Sri Lanka has not played a practice game because of simply no time, whereas India just played a three-day game,” Maharoof told IANS in an online interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network on Tuesday.

He also praised the Indian team management for their tactical foresight in reducing the warm-up game timing from four to three days. “Also, they were smart in not wanting to play the warm-up game on the fourth day. They wanted to play a three-day game, and on the fourth day, on the same pitch, they went and trained out there simply because they wanted their batters to play against the spinners bowling to the rough, which is going to be the challenge come the third or fourth day.

“If the Test match goes to the fifth day, up in Galle, as well as the SSC, I think preparation-wise, Indians are much more equipped than the Sri Lankans, if you ask me. This is where the edge can be won. Also, on paper, the numbers speak for themselves. I think India, with the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, as well as Mohammad Siraj, is quite formidable as the leader of the bowling pack,” stated Maharoof.

Comparing the bowling line-ups, Maharoof noted that Sri Lanka’s attack faces multiple uncertainties, especially around their secondary spin options after left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and pacer Asitha Fernando.

“Sri Lanka will rely heavily on Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya because those two have been consistently playing Test cricket and have been performing well. My other concern is second spinner Ramesh Mendis. He has not played Test cricket and red-ball cricket for a while.

“Only last week, in the just-concluded three-day warm-up game, he played a red-ball game. So many ifs and buts and only answers will be given come the 15th - hopefully the Test match goes for five days till the 19th.”

During India’s practice game, Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten was seen observing the game closely at the ground. With Kirsten, who coached India to the 2011 ODI World Cup win, taking over as Sri Lanka’s head coach after Sanath Jayasuriya left, Maharoof thinks his presence can be a potential game-changer in the hosts' dressing room.

“Gary Kirsten was there for all three days. I was in commentary as well and went and spoke to him on a few things. So, he was there all three days, and he is like a hands-on coach. Gary was a coach in India as well. I don't have anything to say about his records. He has been loved wherever he has coached. He has a major good respect towards him.

“The feedback I am getting from the dressing room is that he has been loved and respected by all players. So, he will be a massive influence on this side with his experience. At the end of the day, the coaches can do certain things. Rest of it is all about the players going out there and doing their bit because nowadays, a head coach's role is like man-management,” he observed.

Drawing a parallel with former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri, Maharoof emphasised that Kirsten's primary role will be fostering the right mindset among Sri Lanka's youngsters, especially with Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka unavailable due to injuries.

“Like what Ravi Shastri did when the Indian team was so successful in all formats, so a similar role I think Gary will be wanting to play because when it comes to talent, there is a lot of talent available in Sri Lanka. But just that, to get the right players involved, and the right mentality playing against a quality side like India, that's how you create the environment for the players to go out there and perform,” he said.

On the high stakes of the series from the WTC cycle perspective, Maharoof noted that managing humidity will be a crucial hurdle for the visiting Indian contingent if they are to win both games in Galle and Colombo. “So, WTC points, I think both sides are very important. 24 points up for grabs; both sides are quite used to the conditions in the subcontinent. But the only thing that India may be just lacking a little bit can be the humidity factor.

“I understand it's quite hot in India at the moment, and in Bengaluru as well. But Sri Lanka, especially Galle, can be very humid and testing. That's why I think it was a master call by the Indian think tank to play a three-day game, get adjusted and used to the humid levels because the heat level is almost similar.

“But the humidity levels in Sri Lanka are much higher, and they got three days of training in Galle. So, I'm pretty sure by the time the first Test match starts, they'll be well up for it. It's all about at the end of the day - we can speak a lot, but by the end of the day, it's just one ball against one batter. You got to keep it really simple and trust the process,” he concluded.

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Darwin [Australia], August 12 (ANI): Australia have announced their playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh, with veteran seamer Josh Hazlewood preferred over Scott Boland as the hosts reunite their pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood.

Australia captain Cummins confirmed on the eve of the Test that Boland would miss out, with Hazlewood returning to the side for their first Test in eight months.

Nathan Lyon also returns to the XI after missing the latter part of the Ashes due to a hamstring injury. All-rounder Cameron Green has retained his place alongside fellow all-rounder Beau Webster, with Australia continuing with two pace-bowling all-rounders.

Boland had played in all five Ashes Tests last summer, stepping up as Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon missed significant portions of the series. The pacer is expected to remain an important part of Australia’s plans during a busy period in which they could play up to 21 Tests over the next 12 months.

The first Test will be played from August 13 to 17 at Marrara Stadium in Darwin, followed by the second Test from August 22 to 26 at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.

The two-match Test series between Australia and Bangladesh will be part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027 cycle. Australia is ranked second in the points table, whereas Bangladesh is placed fourth.

Australia playing XI for the first Test: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Beau Webster, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, and Beau Webster.

Bangladesh squad (first Test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan. (ANI)

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