Munir Hussain (commentator) facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 29 November 1929 Amritsar, British India |
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| Died | 29 July 2013 (aged 83) Karachi, Pakistan |
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| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-fast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 26 August 2013
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Munir Hussain (born 1929, died 2013) was a famous Pakistani cricket commentator, writer, and manager. He even played one professional cricket match! He was the first person to commentate on cricket in the Urdu language. He also started the first Urdu cricket magazine, Akhbar-e-Watan.
For many years, he talked about cricket on TV (Pakistan Television) and radio (Radio Pakistan). He also wrote weekly articles about cricket for a newspaper called Daily Jang. He won many awards for his great work in cricket. A cricket writer called him a "pioneering commentator" and a wise leader in Pakistani cricket. He was also the president of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA).
Contents
Munir Hussain's Cricket Journey
Playing Cricket
Munir Hussain was a good bowler who played a lot of club cricket. He played his only professional cricket match in 1969–70. This was during the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy for the Kalat team against Quetta.
He was the captain of his team in that match. He scored 12 runs and took 2 wickets for 64 runs. Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan praised his bowling skills.
Becoming a Commentator
In the late 1960s, cricket commentary in Pakistan was only in English. Most Pakistani fans found this hard to understand. Munir Hussain had the idea to start commentary in Urdu.
He began commentating in Urdu during the 1969 Jang Gold Cup final. This match featured 13 Pakistani Test cricketers. His unique Urdu commentary made him stand out. He continued to commentate in Urdu for many decades, from the 1970s to the 2000s. He traveled to almost every Test cricket nation to cover matches. This included World Cups from 1975 to 2003.
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Managing and Writing About Cricket
Munir Hussain was the president of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) for two terms. He was also a member for many years. In 2013, he led the Pakistan Cricket Commentators Club (PCCC). He also helped start the Jang Cricket Club.
Chishty Mujahid, another cricket commentator, praised Munir Hussain's work. He said Munir was a talented person who managed, commented, wrote, and organized many things in cricket.
Munir Hussain's first love was journalism. His first successful magazine was Filmasia, which was about Indian and Pakistani movies. From 1977 to 2010, he edited Akhbar-e-Watan. This was a monthly Urdu magazine all about cricket. For almost 40 years, Munir Hussain wrote weekly cricket articles for Daily Jang. This is Pakistan's largest and oldest newspaper.
Awards and Recognition
Munir Hussain received the Best Urdu Commentator of the Decade Award. This award was for his work between 1985 and 1995. The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award.
He also received the PCB's World Cup Legends Award. This was given on the tenth anniversary of Pakistan winning the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
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His Life
Munir Hussain was born in November 1929 in Amritsar, which was then part of British Raj (now India). When he was very young, he moved to Karol Bagh in Delhi. He spent his early years there. In 1947, he moved from Amritsar to Pakistan.
Munir Hussain was married and had four children, two daughters and two sons. One of his sons, Iqbal Munir, is a cricket photojournalist.
His Passing
Munir Hussain had health issues like ulcers and arthritis in his knees. Despite this, he generally stayed well. On July 29, 2013, he watched a cricket match between Pakistan and the West Indies.
He passed away later that day at the age of 83 from a heart attack in Karachi. His funeral was held at Abu Bakar Siddiq mosque. He was buried at Gizri graveyard. His granddaughter, Khizra, said that people at the funeral shared many stories about his kindness.
Many famous people from cricket attended his funeral. These included former Pakistan captains Javed Miandad, Wasim Bari, and Rashid Latif. Other attendees included cricket commentator Chishti Mujahid and former KCCA president Sirajul Islam Bukhari. Javed Miandad said that Munir Hussain was very popular and served cricket well. The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Najam Sethi, said that his death was a great loss.
