Mushtaq Mohammad, like his brothers Wazir, Raees, Hanif, and Sadiq, was a distinguished cricketer who rendered invaluable service to Pakistan. While Hanif was widely regarded as the finest batsman among them, Mushtaq stood out as a premier all-rounder. In 57 Test matches, he scored 3,643 runs with 10 centuries—second only to Hanif’s 3,915—and took 79 wickets, more than the combined total of his four brothers. Notably, on two occasions, he scored a century (including a double century once) and took five wickets in an innings—a rare all-round feat at the time. In first-class cricket, Mushtaq played 502 matches, amassed 31,091 runs with 72 centuries, and claimed 936 wickets. He also captained Northamptonshire to their first-ever Gillette Cup win in 1976.
Mushtaq was not the most naturally gifted of the five Mohammad brothers who migrated from Western India to Karachi at Partition, but he surpassed even Hanif in first-class centuries, owing to more extensive opportunities in county cricket. He was an early adopter of the reverse sweep (which he learned from Hanif) and among the first players known for twirling his bat at the crease. A master of leg-breaks, googlies, and flippers, he took more first-class wickets than any of his brothers. Mushtaq had the rare ability to alternate between attacking flair and defensive grit. His wrists were both powerful and supple. On conducive pitches, he was a genuine match-winner with the ball and more economical than many of his contemporaries.
His career spanned nearly the full arc of Pakistan’s cricketing journey, beginning from his formative years in Karachi—where he learned the game in a former Hindu temple—to becoming one of its most impactful cricketers. His autobiography Inside Out offers one of the most candid and evocative narratives of a cricketer's journey through highs and lows. Mushtaq came across as a man satisfied with his legacy, and his writing radiated that contentment.
Mushtaq played a pivotal role in shaping Pakistan’s cricketing destiny. At his best, he could single-handedly change the course of a Test match with either bat or ball. As a captain, he was instrumental in transforming a talented but inconsistent group into a competitive and cohesive unit. Few captains have read the game better or handled pressure with greater calm. Mushtaq’s resilience and leadership often lifted Pakistan from the brink of despair to unexpected glory. Before his captaincy tenure, Pakistan had come close to historic Test wins in England (1971) and Australia (1972–73) but faltered at the finish line. During the 1975 World Cup, despite strong performances, they failed to close out matches against Australia and West Indies. Under Mushtaq’s leadership, Pakistan drew a historic Test series in Australia (1976–77) and came agonisingly close to doing the same in the West Indies in 1977. The first Test in Barbados nearly resulted in a famous win. With Mushtaq at the helm, Pakistan emerged as genuine contenders on par with West Indies and Australia. His leadership rejuvenated a disjointed squad into a world-class team. Notable moments include the comeback to square the series at Sydney after a demoralising defeat in the previous Test, drawing the Georgetown Test after following on 280 runs behind, and winning at Trinidad to level the series.
In the early 1970s, Mushtaq cemented his place as a world-class batsman, scoring centuries at Edgbaston (England, 1971), at Sydney (Australia, 1972–73), at Dunedin (201 vs New Zealand, 1973), and at Lahore (123 vs West Indies, 1974). His batting against bowlers like John Snow, Derek Underwood, Dennis Lillee, and Andy Roberts demonstrated courage and technical mastery. His greatest all-round performance came at Trinidad in 1977, where he scored 121 and 56, and took 5-28 and 3-69, powering Pakistan to a 266-run win. It was an extraordinary display of athleticism and versatility—comparable to the greatest all-round feats in cricket history. Other memorable performances include 4-60 and 5-59 against New Zealand at Auckland in 1979, 4-55 on a dead Faisalabad pitch against India, and 4-58 at Adelaide.
Mushtaq strongly denied Allan Border’s claim that he approached him to fix an Ashes Test in 1993. He also criticized Pakistan’s underwhelming World Cup squad after their shocking defeat to Bangladesh in 1999, expressing suspicion at how easily the players were dismissed. The political intrigues that led to his abrupt exclusion from the 1979 World Cup squad reflected the internal discord within Pakistan cricket. Mushtaq’s departure was symptomatic of deeper issues that former captains have described as rife with betrayal and factionalism.
Mushtaq ended his Test career with 3,543 runs at 39.17, including 10 centuries, and 79 wickets at 29.22, with three five-wicket hauls. In terms of raw skill and performance, Mushtaq was a true all-rounder—on par with Tony Greig and Ian Botham in the 1970s. He combined technical solidity as a batsman with a diverse spin arsenal, reminiscent of Vinoo Mankad. When leadership is factored in, he arguably ranks among the top three all-rounder-captains in cricket history. He is one of only three cricketers to score a century and take five wickets in an innings twice in Test history. After Gary Sobers, few all-rounders were as consistent with the bat under pressure. As a captain, Mushtaq may well have been the best among his contemporaries during the 1970s—and arguably Pakistan’s second-best ever after Imran Khan.
Mushtaq would be in my all-time Pakistan Test XI, likely batting at No. 6. In a late 1970s World XI, he would narrowly miss out to Tony Greig or Ian Botham. Comparing him to compatriot Asif Iqbal is difficult, but Mushtaq would just make it into my list of the 10 greatest Pakistani cricketers. That said, his reputation is somewhat marred by unsporting moments—like instructing Sarfraz Nawaz to bowl bouncers in the 3rd ODI against India in 1978 to prevent a likely Indian win, or participating in the controversial run-out of Rodney Hogg at Perth in 1979. He was also unable to effectively address the political fractures within Pakistan cricket.
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*Freelance journalist
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