How great was Majid Khan? Part of 1970s World Test XI?

[Harsh Thakor]

Without doubt Majid Khan was one of batting's greatest exponents of pure genius.At his best he took the art of batting to the heights of divinity revealing the magic touch of a great painter like Rembrandt.On his day he tore the best of pace attacks like a tiger tearing it's prey.However even his most powerful strokes were executed with the grace of the divine .On bad wickets he could even overshadow Viv or Barry Richards.The best of deliveries would be sent scuttling to the fence with the deftest of touches by Majid with the creativity of a magician.Majid was the best exponent of the hook shot after Viv Richards which he executed with the majestic exuberance of a lion.Majid scored 167 at Georgetown in 1977 against a top Calypso pace attack ressurecting his side from facing certain defeat ,158 in Australia in 1972-73 and a century of 88 balls in the 1st O.D.I.of the 1974 prudential trophy in England.In the 1977 tour of West Indies he averaged 53 with 539-0 runs which was remarkable.Figures hardly did justice to Majid who at his best could join the Viv Richards and Greg Chappells.Till 1979 Majid averaged over 42 but after 1978 declined.He made a partial recovery versus Australia in 1980 averaging 199 with scores of 110 and 89 not out.He bowed out of the game hopelessly out of sorts in Australia in 1981-82 and England in 1982.

After 1976 Majid played the role of an opener and few opening batsmen ever played the great Carribean pace battery on their own soil as Majid did in 1977,including Sunil Gavaskar.His footwork was limited and he was not as complete as compatriot Zaheer Abbas or Javed Miandad but against pure pace he was better than both of them.If you watch videos of Majid batting against Lillee or Roberts one can understand why he was rated as one of the finest batsmen against genuine pace.He destroyed genuine paceman like a tiger tearing flesh.With Victor Trumper Majid is the only batting genius to average under 40.

Would Majid rank amongst the all-time greats or make the world test xi of the 1970's.On a fast track or against genuine pace I would vote for Majid to open the batting with Gavaskar from 1977-79.Remember Majid played great pace without the aid of protective headgear.He could make a greater contribution than Geoff Boycott with his attacking style.In 1977 Majid was arguably only behind Viv Richards,Barry Richards,Sunil Gavaskar and the Chappell brothers .It was a photo-finish between Cllive Lloyd,Majid,Zaheer Abbas and Vishwanath.In that time I would have also preferred Majid to Greenidge as an opener.

Summing it all amongst Pakistani players I would have placed him on top in terms of natural ability but allover still behind Javed Miandad,Hanif Mohammad,Younus Khan,Inzamam Ul Haq or even Zaheer Abbas.Majid would have flourished in the game today with wickets so much more conducive to batting.I would have backed him to surpass Virat Kohli or Hashim Amla if he played today.I may rank Majid a few inches ahead of Dilip Vengsarkar or Salim Malik and arguably on par with Alvin Kalicharan or Lawrence Rowe.

 

[The_Odd_One]

He was a genuine stroke maker who could really take on fast bowlers. Not sure about tests but in ODIs he would have easily averaged 40+ at 100+ SR in this era.

 

[The Googly]

A wonderful player. Probably the greatest naturally talented Pakistan batsman ever. Made batting look easy.

 

[MMHS]

In ODI definitely.

In Test, not sure - I won't pick him over Boycott, Redpath & Grineedge (Amiss, Fredricks & Turner as well in the mix), because other spot is fixed for Sunny.

I probably'll pick Mazid/Engineer as ODI & Gavaskar/Boycott as Test openers.

 

[Billy1999]

I still don't understand why Imran Kicked him out

Majid Khan was a really decent batsmen,in both Tests and Odis

We have had some great openers Hanif Mohammed,Majid Khan,Mohsin Khan,Mudassar Nazar,Shoaib mohammed,Saeed Anwar,Amir Sohail,Azhar Ali,

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Our second best opener after Anwar. Quality player of pace.

 

[sali]

Majid and Zaheer were top class players that Pakistan produced in 70s. Imagine playing WI pace battery and Thompson bowling at express pace without nos of bouncers restriction, no helmet, no flat pitches and this guy will hook them with ease.

 

[ihsandar]

I still don't understand why Imran Kicked him out

Majid Khan was a really decent batsmen,in both Tests and Odis

We have had some great openers Hanif Mohammed,Majid Khan,Mohsin Khan,Mudassar Nazar,Shoaib mohammed,Saeed Anwar,Amir Sohail,Azhar Ali,

majid was one of the best batsman at that time, and ppl use to say , if you want learn how to bat and want to watch some one, watch majid khan batting, he was known as a Majestic Khan

majid was out of form and imran khan give him a chance at the end of his career, but he did not click and he drop him from team
imran khan is not like others cricketers, he put his team and country first.

 

[moghul]

At peak of his form, Majid was so good against all those famous fast bowlers of 70s and 80,s while playing in Australia , West Indies , England , not just in Pakistan that many experts included him in all time world eleve. Although that was a stretch but he was definitely the best opener along with Gavaskar during his time. Boycott and some others might have better stats but no one except Gavaskar was that good .

 

[moghul]

majid was one of the best batsman at that time, and ppl use to say , if you want learn how to bat and want to watch some one, watch majid khan batting, he was known as a Majestic Khan

majid was out of form and imran khan give him a chance at the end of his career, but he did not click and he drop him from team
imran khan is not like others cricketers, he put his team and country first.

Absolutely, Imran dropped Majid, his cousin and cricketer of great reputation, purely on merit . That was IK, never compromised on merit and always kept the team interest first. Quite a contrast to our recently retired " legendary " captain.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Our second best opener after Anwar. Quality player of pace.

Better than Hanif Mohammad?i disagree Hanif was close to the very best of all openers while Majid became an opening batsmen later in his career.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

At peak of his form, Majid was so good against all those famous fast bowlers of 70s and 80,s while playing in Australia , West Indies , England , not just in Pakistan that many experts included him in all time world eleve. Although that was a stretch but he was definitely the best opener along with Gavaskar during his time. Boycott and some others might have better stats but no one except Gavaskar was that good .

I still rate Greenidge marginally ahead Overall as an opening batsmen or even Boycott but in his peak I give Majid the edge.For good part of his career however Majid was not a opening batsmen.

 

[Junaids]

I still don't understand why Imran Kicked him out

Majid Khan was a really decent batsmen,in both Tests and Odis

We have had some great openers Hanif Mohammed,Majid Khan,Mohsin Khan,Mudassar Nazar,Shoaib mohammed,Saeed Anwar,Amir Sohail,Azhar Ali,

Age.

Nothing more, nothing less.

The Majid Khan of 1969-1979 was a better batsman than any current Asian batsman.

But by 1982 he was almost 36, and he had lost his reflexes. It was hard watching him in England that summer: he wasn't just failing with the bat, he was dropping catches too.

Pakistan had an away series in Australia to follow in 1983-84, by which time he was going to be 37. Imran had to get rid of him while there's was time for Mansoor Akhtar or Saleem Malik or Qasim Omar to establish himself in his place.

He should have dropped Zaheer Abbas too. His nerves were shot and he had lost the ability to handle pace.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

How great was Majid Khan at his best?

In my personal view Majid Khan posessed the ability of a magician.At his best he took batting genius to its supreme depth with his characteristic silken touch..On bad wickets he could even overshadow Viv Richards or Greg Chappell.After Viv there was no better exponent of the hook shot.I can never forget Majid's dazzling drives of the best of deliveries.His deftest touches could send the ball racing over the ropes.Majid was like a boxer ,surgeon and poet blended into one .His best strokes had the creativity of a musical composer and the elegance of ballad dancer.In terms of sheer talent he could join the league of a Lara or Tendulkar.Arguably he was more adept against sheer pace than both of them,being a better negotiator of the short ball.

Against sheer pace only Inzamam was his equal amongst Pakistani batsmen.I can never forget his 167 at Georgetown v West Indies which saved Pakistan after being in dire straits,trailing 280 runs behind in the 1st innings.Majid also scored a 158 against the likes of Dennis Lillee at Melbourne in 1972-73.His 156 for Worcester in 1969 against Glamorgan was arguably the best post-war first -class innings by any batsmen on broken wicket which reminded you of a surgeon performing a successful operation on a patient considered incurable.

Sadly his career had a setback after WSC Packer cricket.He scored a century at Melbourne in 1978-79 and 110 and 89 in a home series v Australia in 1980 but these were only glimpses of his original form.

Arguably Majid Khan is statistically the most under achieved batsmen ever.With his great reflexes I would have backed him to be right up there with any top ODI star of later years.To me for a period of the 1970's he was on par with Viv Richards and Greg Chappell and the best Pakistani batsmen.In a crisis or on a bad wicket he overshadowed Zaheer Abbas.Had he played in the modern era he may well have been right up there with Virat Kohli or Devilliers if not better.At his best he was in the Greg Chappell class and in my view the best of the Pakistani batsmen.

 

[babajee]

Equal to Mohammad Hafeez

 

[MMHS]

In my personal view Majid Khan posessed the ability of a magician.At his best he took batting genius to its supreme depth with his characteristic silken touch..On bad wickets he could even overshadow Viv Richards or Greg Chappell.After Viv there was no better exponent of the hook shot.I can never forget Majid's dazzling drives of the best of deliveries.His deftest touches could send the ball racing over the ropes.Majid was like a boxer ,surgeon and poet blended into one .His best strokes had the creativity of a musical composer and the elegance of ballad dancer.In terms of sheer talent he could join the league of a Lara or Tendulkar.Arguably he was more adept against sheer pace than both of them,being a better negotiator of the short ball.

Against sheer pace only Inzamam was his equal amongst Pakistani batsmen.I can never forget his 167 at Georgetown v West Indies which saved Pakistan after being in dire straits,trailing 280 runs behind in the 1st innings.Majid also scored a 158 against the likes of Dennis Lillee at Melbourne in 1972-73.His 156 for Worcester in 1969 against Glamorgan was arguably the best post-war first -class innings by any batsmen on broken wicket which reminded you of a surgeon performing a successful operation on a patient considered incurable.

Sadly his career had a setback after WSC Packer cricket.He scored a century at Melbourne in 1978-79 and 110 and 89 in a home series v Australia in 1980 but these were only glimpses of his original form.

Arguably Majid Khan is statistically the most under achieved batsmen ever.With his great reflexes I would have backed him to be right up there with any top ODI star of later years.To me for a period of the 1970's he was on par with Viv Richards and Greg Chappell and the best Pakistani batsmen.In a crisis or on a bad wicket he overshadowed Zaheer Abbas.Had he played in the modern era he may well have been right up there with Virat Kohli or Devilliers if not better.At his best he was in the Greg Chappell class and in my view the best of the Pakistani batsmen.

I am a BIG fan of Mazid for the sheer elegance & majestic brilliance of the man. Very few batsmen had so many shots, but more importantly (to me), hardly anyone could do that with such style & elegance. GR Vishi & Mazid were two batsmen whose stats doesn't justify the quality and sheer talent.

In your post lost of praise, some of which I do agree and may be some won't disagree much - BUT one thing I do agree completely & I actually wrote in other thread - Mazid has to be the most under-rated batsman ever........ In history may be Victor Trumper was very much like Mazid and very few footage/still photo that I have seen, I am sure both were very similar in terms of their shot making style, ability and their elegance (3rd one of that trio has to be Mohammad Hafeez - Mazid is almost as good as him at their prime)

 

[ManFan]

DK made a bet with Majid that if his bouncer knocked his hat off, he would own it. One day, he did and Majid gave it to him. Stylish beyond belief. Shame that his son is not even decent on commentary.