'People, regardless of nationality, loved Hanif' - Imtiaz Ahmed

"I am sad to hear about his death. He underwent his cancer treatment in England, but he later got better. He was not just a good player, batsman, but a great human being. I don't remember how many times we batted together, but what I remember about him is his calmness and concentration batting at the other end. Being his team-mate, I really enjoyed watching him driving so delightfully and it was satisfying to see him scoring against the best bowlers.

"He knew what exactly he was doing and there were a number of games he saved for Pakistan. Because of him, I played with freedom. He held one end with his composure, and that allowed the person at the other end to play freely. His mind was very focused, and his hand-eye co-ordination worked so well. His technique and judgement about the game were very accurate. He played very fine innings and made the country proud.

"I left wicket-keeping after a couple of blows on the forehead and Hanif was the one who used to do it in the early days. However, because he had small hands and the ball was frequently slipping out of his hand, Abdul Kardar [the Pakistan captain] told me to do it. So I took over and after the Test with India in Madras, I kept wicket for Pakistan all the way.

"Hanif not only earned his name in cricket, but he became the face of Pakistan and there were people who, regardless of nationality, loved him very much. His services will remain intact and will never be outdated in the history of Pakistan cricket. He will be remembered for long. I pray that his soul rests in peace.

"I had a very good cricketing relationship with him. There was a good understanding about the game and while batting together. Otherwise, we didn't develop any personal relations; we used to talk about cricket and nothing more. The relationship was friendly. I am touching 90s and my memory has gone down already, but there are a lot of good memories with him. I don't know how interesting that would be for you, but I still remember him in good words. He was a soft-spoken guy and very polite.

"That title 'Little Master' was well-suited because he was short in height and quite young. I don't remember him objecting to it, which means he used to enjoy those words about him. His technique was so perfect. Once, the board sent four or five players to England to get coaching from Alf Gover (former England fast bowler), who said this man doesn't need any coaching as he is perfect and there was nothing Gover could teach him. He was a normal cricketer but played the ball on merit, and his temperament and patience made him extraordinary."