Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Taslim Arif passed away in the southern city of Karachi late on Thursday after a prolonged illness.

Arif, who represented his country in six tests and two one-day internationals, developed an acute lung infection and had been hospitalised several times over the last year. He was 53 years old.

Arif held the test record for the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper for 21 years with his 210 against Australia at Faisalabad in 1980.