Mushtaq Mohammed played Test cricket from age of 15 yrs

A. C. DE SILVA

CRICKET: Five brothers, four played cricket at Test level for Pakistan. That's the achievement of Mohammed brothers.

The Mohammed brothers have been involved in 29 Tests in all and the breakdown: Hanif 12 Tests, Mushtaq 10 Tests, Sadiq 5 Tests and Wazir 2 Tests.

Hanif Mohammed made his debut against India in New Delhi in the 1952-53 series. This was Pakistan's First Test.

It has been a remarkable family and only Mushtaq had any pretensions of being a bowler. He was the youngest Test cricketer ever - only 15 years 124 days when he played against the West Indies at Lahore in the 1958-59 series.

Two years earlier, at the incredible age of just 13 years, he had made his first-class debut for Karachi Whites against Hyderabad, scoring 87 and taking 5 for 87 with his leg-breaks and googlies.

Before he was 19 he had scored two Test centuries, and he went on to captain Pakistan before opting for the Packer circus, a decision which made his Board of Control strip him of the leadership, only to reinstate him a year later, after public preassure, for the vital series against India.

Mushtaq's qualities are perhaps not quite so obvious as those of say, Sobers or Botham. Like so many cricketers from the subcontinent, finesse rather than force is his forte. Only five feet five inches tall, but sturdily built, for a small man he hits the ball with surprising power, but because of his stature this comes mainly through timing rather than effort. Like all the Mohammeds he has an familiar twirl of the bat as he takes guard but the blade is pretty straight once the ball's on its way.

Mushtaq has fine powers of concentration. Long hours in the dazzling sunshine pose major problems in fixing the mind solely on the ball for any length of time.

He does this superbly and the patience which his race seems to have in abundance, coupled with a fine defensive technique, have been repaid with over 50 first-class hundreds, including five double centuries and one score over 300.

Mustaq also has the gene without which no amount of talent would be successful, he has courage. It has been a treat to watch him play genuine fast bowling. Occasionally he might jump in the air, but then with his height it is not always easy to get over the bounce of the ball to keep it down. But he's right behind the line of the ball.

Like so many of his countrymen he's a beautiful wristy cutter of anything slightly short or wide, and he has perfected a stroke which no other first-class cricketer attempts - a kind of reverse backhand smash through the slips. He uses this with totally demoralising effect to a slow bowler pitching consistently wide of his off stump.

With a ball in his hand he is no less of a competitor. Many of the world's finest leg-spinners during his time have been short men - `Tich' Freeman and Clarrie Grimmett, for instance. To spin the ball a lot it helps to let it go with a slightly upwards trajectory and Mushtaq does this with great cunning accuracy. He also had the googly and the `flipper' the fast, flat ball which skids on after pitching.

Nimble on the field, with a safe pair of hands, Mushtaq quickly realised that without the ability to throw the ball very far he would have to become a specialist close-to-the-wicket catcher. His characteristic tenacity, practice and commitment have made him highly competent in this department too.