Karachi: Former Pakistan Test batter Wazir Mohammad, one of the country’s earliest cricketing stalwarts and part of the illustrious Mohammad family, passed away on Monday at the age of 95, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed.
In a post on X, the PCB expressed its condolences to the family, remembering Wazir as one of the four Mohammad brothers who represented Pakistan during the formative years of their Test journey.
“One of the four Mohammad brothers to represent Pakistan in Test cricket, he featured in 20 matches for his country from 1952 to 1959,” the PCB wrote.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also paid tribute to the late cricketer in a statement, highlighting both his contributions to the game and his personal grace.
“Wazir Mohammad was a good batsman and an extremely refined human being,” Naqvi said, offering prayers for the bereaved family.
Born in Junagadh in 1929, Wazir was part of a family that helped lay the foundations of Pakistan cricket. His brothers Hanif, Mushtaq, and Sadiq Mohammad all went on to play for Pakistan, while another brother, Raees, played first-class cricket but never represented the national team. Hanif Mohammad, Pakistan’s first great batting icon, passed away in 2016.
Though Wazir’s Test average of 27.62 might not fully reflect his influence, his contributions were pivotal during Pakistan’s rise in international cricket through the 1950s. His first-class average of 40 was a more accurate measure of his consistency and value, with captain Abdul Hafeez Kardar—a key architect of Pakistan’s early success—counting him among his trusted men.
Wazir’s most enduring moment came during the Oval Test of 1954, when Pakistan stunned England to win their first Test match on English soil, and with it, levelled the series 1-1. While Fazal Mahmood’s 12 wickets earned him hero status, Wazir’s defiant 42 not out in the second innings was equally crucial.
With Pakistan teetering at 82/8 and only 85 runs ahead, Wazir—batting at No. 8—resisted England’s attack for four hours. He added 58 runs with Zulfiqar Ahmed for the ninth wicket and another 24 with Mahmood Hussain for the last, doubling Pakistan’s total in the process. Those runs gave Fazal something to defend; Pakistan eventually won by 24 runs, etching their name into cricketing history.
Two years later, in Karachi against Australia, Wazir once again rescued Pakistan from a precarious 70/5. His partnership of 104 with captain Kardar and his gritty 67—the game’s second-highest score—set up another famous victory, this time by nine wickets.
But perhaps his finest series came in the Caribbean in 1957-58, remembered globally for Garry Sobers’ then world-record 365 and Hanif Mohammad’s epic 337. Amid those milestones, Wazir quietly compiled 440 runs, including two centuries and an unbeaten 97. His first hundred in that series was Pakistan’s fastest Test century until 1967, while his monumental 189 at Port of Spain secured another overseas win, ensuring Pakistan had won at least one Test on each of their first three tours.
(IANS)
