A right-handed batsman and a leg-spinner, he is one of the most successful Pakistani all-rounders and went on to captain his country in nineteen Test matches.

Born in Junagadh in what would become a border region of India with Pakistan, Mushtaq as a child attended the Church Mission High School in Karachi.

He played for Karachi and Pakistan International Airlines at home and went on to represent Northamptonshire in county cricket from 1966 to 1977, scoring more than 1,000 runs in every season.

According to Wisden, Mushtaq resigned, claiming that his future had not been made clear and that there were rumours – which turned out to be true – that former captain Jim Watts was to be reappointed for 1978.

On 26 March 1959 against West Indies at Lahore, Mushtaq succeeded his elder brothers Wazir and Hanif into Test cricket.

Based on his publicised date of birth of 22 November 1943, he was then 15 years and 124 days, the youngest person to play Test cricket at the time.

In the latter game, he became the only cricketer other than Denis Atkinson to score a double century and take five wickets in a Test match.

Thereby Mushtaq also became only the second player after Garfield Sobers to score a century and take five wickets in an innings in a test match on more than one occasion.