The 82nd birthday of former Pakistan cricket captain Mushtaq Mohammad was celebrated in Karachi on Sunday, where a simple yet dignified ceremony was held at the residence of Morai, 24NewsHD TV reported.
The event was attended by the former captain’s family members, brother Sadiq Mohammad, relatives, and close friends who gathered to honour one of Pakistan cricket’s most iconic figures.
Mushtaq Mohammad—widely hailed as the inventor of the reverse sweep, the “Godfather of Modern Batting,” and one of the greatest captains Pakistan has produced—remains an enduring symbol of cricketing excellence.
Born on 22 November 1943 in Junagadh, India, he was part of the renowned Mohammad brothers family.
According to sports organiser Sohail Javed Butt, Mushtaq Mohammad carved an extraordinary career spanning three decades.
On 1 November 1978, he famously led Pakistan to a dominant victory over India in the Lahore Test, winning the series 0–2.
He also holds remarkable early-age records: playing first-class cricket at 13 and becoming, at 15, the youngest Test cricketer in the world.
Mushtaq made his Test debut in 1959 at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, facing the fearsome West Indian fast bowler Sir Wesley Hall, whose bouncers he bravely negotiated without a helmet.
In the same match, Hall struck opener Ijaz Butt on the head, causing a serious injury—a reminder of the dangers of the game in the pre-helmet era.