My Captain Munir Hussain Was the Father of Cricket Commentary in Urdu
By Rafique S. M. Ahmed
Los Angeles, CA
Monday, July 29, 2013 was a sad day not only for Pakistan but also for the world of cricket when the legendary former President of Karachi City Cricket Association, cricket commentator, first class cricketer, a very well-respected journalist and my Captain of the Jang Cricket Club, Munir Hussain died of cardiac arrest after protracted illness in Karachi, Pakistan. He was 83 and is survived by two sons and two daughters and widow to mourn his death.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon
May Allah rest his departed soul in eternal peace in jannah and give his loving wife and children the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. My heart goes out to the entire family during this most difficult period in their life. It is, indeed a great national loss for Pakistan as well as a personal loss for the family.
Munir Hussain was laid to rest at Gizri Graveyard in the evening on July 29.
Earlier his Namaz-e-Janaza was offered at Masjid Abu Bakar Siddiq, DHA Phase-II in Karachi.
The funeral was attended by former Pakistan captains Wasim Bari, Javed Miandad, Rashid Latif, ex-Test cricketers Iqbal Qasim, Sadiq Mohammad, Tauseef Ahmed, Shoaib Mohammad, Salahuddin Sallu, Saleem Jaffar, cricket commentator Chishty Mujahid, ex-KCCA president Prof. Siraj-ul-Islam Bukhari, Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and a large number of KCCA zonal officials, umpires, journalists, friends and relatives.
Several decades of outstanding services
Munir Hussain had earned many accolades during his distinguished career spanning over several decades. He was honored with the Best Urdu Commentator of the Decade Award (1985-95), the Lifetime Achievement Award from Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, PCB’s World Cup Legends Award presented on the 10th anniversary celebrations of Pakistan’s victory in the 1992 World Cup among others.
Munir Hussain always loved to promote Pakistan’s national language, Urdu, at all levels. He was a very eloquent speaker and a great and prolific Urdu writer.
Traditionally, cricket commentary on radio and TV was always done in the English language in Pakistan until 44 years ago when the airwaves introduced a new voice surprising listeners and viewers to cricket commentary in Urdu. The voice behind the microphone may have sounded alien initially not being in English but it wasn’t long before Munir Hussain became a household name among the lovers of the gentlemen’s sport of cricket here.
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