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My growing-up years coincided with the Second World War so that I was not able to watch any international cricket. I had to make do with the Ranji Trophy and the Bombay Pentangular. Two batsmen dominated that particular era, Vijay Merchant and Vijay Hazare. Their appetite for runs was insatiable and in one particular Pentangular final, Merchant made 250 and when it came Hazare's turn, he made 309 out of a total of 390! I was abroad when I first learnt of a school-boy prodigy called Hanif Mohammad and did not actually see him bat till 1954. My thoughts went back to Merchant and Hazare. Would Hanif become the sub-continent's third run-getting machine?

I want to write about Hanif Mohammad because his autobiography Playing for Pakistan has just come out. Hanif had telephoned me to invite me for the book-launching ceremony. Unfortunately, I was then recovering from a bout with bronchitis. I told Hanif that I would do my best to attend the function but my best was not good enough. This column, therefore, is both an apology and a tribute.

Along with Kardar, Fazal Mahmood, Hanif was one of the founding-fathers of Pakistan cricket and for many years he carried on his shoulders, Pakistan's batting. He is generally associated with his remarkable ability to play long innings, invaluable for his team but not particularly entertaining for the crowd. This was a misconception for more often than not he was entrusted with the job of playing the sheet-anchor, not out of choice but out of the dire needs of his team. I would imagine that statistically his greatest innings was 337 he made against the West Indies at Bridgetown in which he had batted for 16 hours and 39 minutes. Alas I was not there to see it but Kardar told me about it. He thought that such an innings was not likely to be played again, given the circumstances of the match where Pakistan had to bat nearly three days to save a match. It was not, as if, Hanif was at a banquet and runs were there for the taking. The West Indies made him earn every run.

My own favourite Hanif's innings was the 187 he made against England at Lord's in 1967. Many felt that he was approaching the end of his career, that his reflexes were slowing down and was not happy against the quick bowlers. The English too must have heard the rumour and John Snow tested him with several bouncers until Hanif hooked him imperiously, not once but several times. I was doing the radio commentary for BBC and it was my privilege to have described much of that innings in the company of John Arlott who would shake his head and say "my word" in disbelief, I might add, delighted disbelief for John Arlott was a great Hanif fan.

For my memory, Hanif was the best batsman in the world when he was playing and the best ever produced by Pakistan. I thought he was shabbily treated when he was overlooked for captaincy for Pakistan's tour of England in 1962 and Javed Burki was appointed. I had my first serious disagreement with Kardar on this point and to Kardar's credit, he admitted that I was right and he was wrong.

The book-launching ceremony was a glittering affair and Imran Khan was chief guest and many who had played Test cricket with Hanif were present to pay glowing tributes to him. Had I been present and asked to make a speech, I would have pointed out that the PCB should have hosted the function and even more importantly that successive cricket boards in Pakistan have never really taken advantage of Hanif's wealth of experience and involved him in running cricket affairs. He has been given an odd assignment but he could have made a great contribution particularly in talent-hunting. When I was with PIA I had conceived the PIA Colts Scheme and handed it to Hanif to run it. He leapt at the chance and in a matter of few years, the PIA Colts had produced several Test players. They had come to us as callow youth and gone on to represent their country. Hanif would be at the nets, in the fierce heat, day after day, working with these young cricketers. He showed the same patience and commitment he used to show when he was batting for Pakistan.

Hanif is entitled to be bitter but there is not a trace of bitterness in his autobiography. Pakistan cricket owes him a great debt. He has been entrusted with the job of setting up a cricket academy. Not only is he the right choice but I feel that Academy should be named after him. Hanif and I have been good friends and I have learnt much about cricket from him which has been invaluable to me as a cricket commentator and writer. In the early years as a radio commentator, I had many occasions to say that the bad news for Pakistan is that they had lost X number of wickets but the good news was that Hanif was still there. One could almost hear the sigh of relief of the listeners. We toured East Africa together with the Cricket Writers Club. In one match we opened the innings and Hanif was run out. He played his cricket seriously and was upset and he advised me, very politely that I should stick with doing the commentary. I told him that I would but I could always claim that I opened the innings with the great Hanif Mohammad. "And ran him out," Hanif added. If I had anything to do with the running of the Pakistan Cricket Board, the first person I would turn to would be Hanif Mohammad for technical advice. He's still the Little Master.

© Dawn