Mohammad Hafeez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mohammad Hafeez

Mohammad Hafeez in 2017
Personal information
Born	(1980-10-17) 17 October 1980 (age 44) Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
Nickname	Chanda, Professor
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	Pakistan (2003–2021)
Test debut (cap 173)	20 August 2003 v Bangladesh
Last Test	3 December 2018 v New Zealand
ODI debut (cap 144)	3 April 2003 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI	5 July 2019 v Bangladesh
ODI shirt no.	8 (formerly 88)
T20I debut (cap 5)	1 September 2006 v England
Last T20I	11 November 2021 v Australia
T20I shirt no.	8
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2005–2011/12	Faisalabad Wolves
2008	Kolkata Knight Riders
2012/13–2015/16	Lahore Lions
2016–2018	Peshawar Zalmi
2017	St Kitts and Nevis Patriots
2019	Rajshahi Kings
2019–2022	Lahore Qalandars
2019	Edmonton Royals
2019	Middlesex
2019/20	Southern Punjab
2020/21	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
2021	Galle Gladiators
2021	Muzaffarabad Tigers
2022	Mohammedan Sporting Club cricket team
2023	Quetta Gladiators
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 55 218 119 210 Runs scored 3,652 6,614 2,514 12,169 Batting average 37.64 32.90 26.46 34.76 100s/50s 10/12 11/38 0/14 26/56 Top score 224 140* 99* 224 Balls bowled 4,067 7,733 1,261 14,992 Wickets 53 139 61 253 Bowling average 34.11 38.84 22.75 26.73 5 wickets in innings 0 0 0 7 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 2 Best bowling 4/16 4/41 4/10 8/57 Catches/stumpings 45/– 82/– 30/- 183/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  Pakistan T20 World Cup 2007 South Africa Champions Trophy Winner 2017 England & Wales Asia Cup Winner 2012 Bangladesh 2014 Bangladesh
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 4 January 2022

Mohammad Hafeez (born October 17, 1980) is a former Pakistani cricketer and coach, famously known as "The Professor." He was an all-rounder, meaning he was skilled at both batting and bowling. Hafeez was a key player for the Pakistan team that won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. In the final match, he scored 57 runs without getting out, helping his team win the title.

Hafeez played for Pakistan from 2003 to 2021. He retired from Test cricket in 2018 and from all international cricket in January 2022, ending a career that lasted over 18 years. He was the first Pakistani player chosen for the Caribbean Premier League, a major Twenty20 tournament. In 2015, he scored his highest number of runs in a Test match, 224, against Bangladesh.

In 2018, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave him a central contract, which is an honor for the country's top players. After the 2019 World Cup, he became a T20 specialist and was the world's leading run-scorer in T20 International cricket in 2020.

Personal life

Because his cricket career was so busy, Hafeez had to pause his education. In 2023, at the age of 42, he went back to school. He enrolled at the University of Karachi to study Health, Physical Education, and Sports Sciences.

International Career

Mohammad Hafeez bowling during a warm-up match in England in 2010.

Hafeez's career was full of ups and downs, but he always showed great skill and determination.

Early Years (2003–2006)

Hafeez first joined the Pakistan team in 2003. The team was looking for new talent after a tough World Cup. At first, Hafeez's performance was inconsistent, and he was soon dropped from the team.

However, he played very well in domestic cricket in Pakistan. This hard work paid off, and he was brought back to the team in 2005. He scored his first century (100 runs in a single game) for Pakistan in a 2006 series in Australia. Later that year, he scored his second Test century against the West Indies in Karachi.

Return to the Team in 2010

In 2010, Hafeez was called back to play in the ICC World Twenty20. He was also selected for Pakistan's tour of England, where he was the second-highest run-scorer in the One Day International (ODI) series.

His strong performances continued against South Africa, where he became an opening batsman. By the end of 2010, he had become a regular and important player for Pakistan in all three forms of cricket: Test, ODI, and T20.

Becoming a Top Player

In 2012, Hafeez scored 105 runs against India in the 2012 Asia Cup. He and his partner, Nasir Jamshed, set a record for the best opening partnership for Pakistan against India. During this game, he had to run a lot, which gave him a funny nickname: the "Snake of Sargodha," because of his zigzag running style.

He continued to play brilliantly, scoring three centuries in one ODI series against Sri Lanka in 2013. Only one other Pakistani batsman, Zaheer Abbas, had ever done this before. For his amazing performances in 2014, he was named in the World ODI XI by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Captain of the T20 Team

In May 2012, Hafeez was made the captain of Pakistan's T20 team. He led the team to the semi-finals of the 2012 ICC World Twenty20. As captain, he led Pakistan to many victories and helped the team reach the number two spot in the world rankings.

He was also a great batsman as captain, becoming the first Pakistani captain to score three fifties in a row. After the 2014 T20 World Championship, he stepped down as captain, a decision that was rare in Pakistan cricket.

Later Career (2016-2021)

After some time away from the team, Hafeez returned for a tour of Australia in 2017. When the team's captain was injured, Hafeez stepped in to lead the team. Pakistan won the match, their first victory on Australian soil in 12 years. Hafeez was named player of the match for scoring 72 runs.

He was also a key member of the team that won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. In 2019, he played in the 2019 Cricket World Cup and scored a match-winning 84 runs against England.

In 2020, he scored his best-ever T20 score of 99 not out against New Zealand. In 2021, he played in his 100th T20 International match and was part of Pakistan's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

T20 Franchise Career

Besides playing for Pakistan, Hafeez played for many T20 teams in leagues around the world.

• IPL: He played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the first IPL season in 2008.
• PSL: He played for Peshawar Zalmi for three years before joining Lahore Qalandars as captain in 2019.
• Other Leagues: He also played in leagues in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Canada, and England for teams like the Dhaka Dynamites, Melbourne Stars, and Middlesex.

Bowling Action Issues

A bowler's "action" is the way they move their arm to throw the ball. There are strict rules about how much a bowler can bend their elbow. In 2015, Hafeez was suspended from bowling because his arm action was found to be illegal.

He worked hard to fix it and was allowed to bowl again. However, he was suspended again in 2017. These challenges were a difficult part of his career, but he continued to be a valuable player with his batting.

Life After Retirement

After retiring from playing, Hafeez has stayed involved in cricket. In 2023, he worked as a commentator for a PSL match.

Later that year, he was appointed as the team director and interim head coach for the Pakistan national team for their tours of Australia and New Zealand. His time as coach ended in February 2024.

Records and Achievements

Hafeez scored 21 centuries in his international career: 10 in Test matches and 11 in ODIs. His highest score in a Test match was 224 runs, and his highest in an ODI was 140 not out.

Test centuries

No.	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Start date	Result	Ref.
1	102*	2	Bangladesh	Peshawar, Pakistan	Arbab Niaz Stadium	27 August 2003	Won
2	104	7	West Indies	Karachi, Pakistan	National Stadium	27 November 2006	Won
3	119	18	Zimbabwe	Bulawayo, Pakistan	Queens Sports Club	1 September 2011	Won
4	143	22	Bangladesh	Chittagong, Bangladesh	Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium	9 December 2011	Won
5	196	27	Sri Lanka	Colombo, Sri Lanka	Sinhalese Sports Club Ground	30 June 2012	Drawn
6	101*	39	New Zealand	Abu Dhabi, UAE	Sheikh Zayed Stadium	9 November 2014	Won
7	197	40	New Zealand	Sharjah, UAE	Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium	26 November 2014	Lost
8	224	41	Bangladesh	Khulna, Bangladesh	Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium	28 April 2015	Drawn
9	151	47	England	Sharjah, UAE	Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium	1 November 2015	Won
10	126	51	Australia	Dubai, UAE	Dubai International Cricket Stadium	7 October 2018	Drawn

One Day International centuries

No.	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Date	Result	Ref.
1	115	61	New Zealand	Christchurch, New Zealand	AMI Stadium	29 January 2011	Won
2	121	76	West Indies	Bridgetown, Barbados	Kensington Oval	2 May 2011	Lost
3	139*	81	Zimbabwe	Harare, Pakistan	Harare Sports Club	11 September 2011	Won
4	105	98	India	Dhaka, Bangladesh	Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium	18 March 2012	Lost
5	122*	117	Ireland	Dublin, Ireland	Clontarf Cricket Club Ground	23 May 2013	Tied
6	136*	123	Zimbabwe	Harare, Zimbabwe	Harare Sports Club	29 August 2013	Won
7	122	137	Sri Lanka	Sharjah, UAE	Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium	18 December 2013	Won
8	140*	139	Sri Lanka	Sharjah, UAE	Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium	22 December 2013	Won
9	113*	140	Sri Lanka	Abu Dhabi, UAE	Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium	25 December 2013	Won
10	103	162	Sri Lanka	Dambulla, Sri Lanka	Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium	11 July 2015	Won
11	102*	170	England	Abu Dhabi, UAE	Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium	11 November 2015	Won