Mohd. Hanif's 337 in Jan 1958 against the West Indies at Barbados

We what happened in the Test, let's see if we can tell you stories that the scoreboard doesn't.

All of these are from the only book you need to read about Pak cricket, @OsmanSamiuddin's The Unquiet Ones.

1/n

Pakistan believed the WI swing bowler, Eric Atkinson - brother of former Skipper, Denis who was also playing in the same Test - got a lot of out swing going for him in the match because he used hair cream on the ball.

Gentlemen's game, anyone?

2/n

Clyde Walcott, one of the three wise Ws and an accomplished batsman himself, advised Hanif not to play the hook shot against the ferociously quick, Roy Gilchrist.

Gentlemen's game, anyone?

3/n

On the morning of the sixth and final day before it was time to play, do you know who bowled to Hanif in the nets?

Eric Atkinson.

Gentlemen's game, anyone?

4/n

Eric was quite something - sung random tunes in his run up.
Hanif, a man of concentration, asked the umpire to get him to stop as it was interfering with his focus.
Sometime later, Hanif missed it. Requested Eric to start again. Eric obliged.

Gentlemen's game, anyone?

5/n

On the night of the final day, Hanif slept in his full kit.

They say a boy on a tree was bored out of his mind during Hanif's epic, fell down from the tree he was sitting on, woke up in a hospital a few days later and promptly asked if Hanif was still batting.

6/n

They say Hanif burnt three layers of skin under his eyes in the mad Barbados sun. Should have borrowed those patches from Chanderpaul.

7/n

Many years later, Hanif was asked about his concentration during the 337.

Hanif being Hanif said, "Kudrati taur se hai."

Osman being Osman translates it beautifully: It is something he came into the world with.

Thanks for reading this thread. :)

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