‘Father of Pakistan cricket’ Hanif Mohammad dies aged 81

The former Pakistan captain Hanif Mohammad has died at the age of 81, having been admitted to a Karachi hospital earlier this week suffering from respiratory problems.

Dubbed the "Little Master" long before Sachin Tendulkar could lay claim to the tag, Hanif arguably had an even more significant impact on the popularity of cricket in his country.

He retains the record for the longest Test innings in term of time – taking just over 16 hours to piece together a game-saving 337 against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957.

His career began at the top of the order in Pakistan’s first-ever Test, in 1952.

Hanif retired after 17 years at the top, having played 55 Tests and scored 12 centuries. He hit centuries away to every Test nation he played, and in 1959 broke the record for the highest first-class score with 499. The record stood until Brian Lara’s 501 in 1994.