Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistan’s first Test captain, and Younis Khan, Pakistan’s legendary Test batter and 2009 T20 World Cup winning captain, were inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Hall of Fame on Sunday.
According to a press release issued by the PCB, the two cricketers have joined eight others — Abdul Qadir, Fazal Mahmood, Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Zaheer Abbas — in the Hall of Fame.
Kardar (posthumously) and Younis were inducted after an election process in which three former men’s captains, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis; two former women’s captains, Sana Mir and Urooj Mumtaz; and renowned journalists, Aaliya Rasheed, Dr Nauman Niaz, Rasheed Shakoor, Qamar Ahmed and Waheed Khan took part.
Younis says HOF induction ‘matter of immense pride’
Shahid Kardar, son of A.H. Kardar, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Kardar family and said, “This is a richly deserved tribute to a natural Skipper whose inspirational leadership, imprint of character, tactical brilliance and sheer grit put Pakistan on the world cricket map.”
Younis Khan acknowledged how it was “a matter of immense pride and honour” for his name to be amongst other legends as a result of “giving [his] all to make [his] country proud.”
He further thanked all those who had helped him along his cricket journey including family, teammates, captains, and support staff.
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said in PCB press release that recognizing two players from “two completely different generations” was a “befitting” way to celebrate Pakistan’s diamond jubilee.
The players’ achievements
Kardar was appointed as Pakistan’s first Test captain when the country became the seventh Test-playing nation on July 28, 1952.
Under the Oxford graduate’s captaincy, Pakistan got the distinction of winning a Test in maiden series against all the Test playing nations of that time, i.e. India, England, New Zealand, Australia and West Indies.
He was bestowed with the Pride of Performance award in 1958 and posthumously awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the second highest civilian award, in 2013.
Younis Khan is the 14th highest scorer in the 145-year history of Test cricket, scoring most centuries for Pakistan. He is recognized for his fielding skills as well, having caught 139 catches, the 15th most in the world.
