One of Pakistan's famous sons, Mahmood Hussain was arguably the fastest Pakistani bowler during the 1950s. He formed a potent pace attack with the likes of Fazal Mahmood and Khan Mohammed. The trio were responsible for a majority of the country's famous Test wins during their era. These included wins over England (away) and West Indies (home) amongst others. Blessed with the ability to swing the ball at tremendous speeds, Hussain often had injury concerns due to the excessive workload that he had to endure on some really placid surfaces of the sub-continent. Nevertheless, he had a personality of a fighter and never gave up irrespective of the match situation. A man with a big body and a bigger heart, Hussain was a lovable character despite his physically intimidating presence. Apart from his bowling skills, Hussain was a spunky batsman, as proved by his match-saving knock in 1961 against India in Delhi, a game Pakistan seemed certain to lose. Fitness concerns derailed his career in his 30s and he switched to the field of business after having a stint as Pakistan manager in between. Hussain moved to England as a result of his businesses and his last years were also spent there. He passed away in 1991 after a lengthy battle with diabetus mellitus.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan