15 facts about Inzamam-ul-Haq - Subtlety personified

It is rather difficult to shortlist a set of facts about Inzamam-ul-Haq, a man who has achieved as much as he had in international cricket. However, when people get to know the real Inzamam-ul-Haq, the word ‘incredible human being’ is repeated with monotonous regularity. ‘Inzy’, as he is commonly known was a more than just a captain to the 20 something players in the Pakistan squad. His fatherly nature saw him scale heights no other Pakistani skipper has. He remains to be the most successful ODI skipper in Pakistan history.

1.The Sultan of Multan:

Inzamam-ul-Haq was born on the 3^rd of March 1970 in Multan, Western Punjab province, Pakistan.

2. Nickname:

He is fondly known as Inzy by his teammates and the media.

3. The toast of Auckland:

Inzamam-ul-Haq made his mark on international cricket in the 1992 World Cup down under at Auckland. If playing the hosts in their own backyard wasn’t pressure enough, Martin Crowe’s invincible Kiwi side was the opponent. Crowe showcased a cocktail of class and aggression as the Kiwis scored 262 in their 50 overs. In contrast, a brash, young and exuberant Inzamam-ul-Haq whacked 60 off 37 balls to single-handedly win the match for Pakistan. He soon became the toast of the town following this performance.

4. Best player of pace bowling:

Inzamam’s tendency to lose his wicket early on is tremendous. His inability to pick up length early on in the innings has seen him trapped leg-before on numerous occasions. However, his ability to play off his pads has seen him become a formidable force. While power came naturally to Inzy, big scores became a regular feature in all the matches he played. Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan was quoted saying, “He is the best player of pace bowling in the world.”

5. A passenger on the field:

While fielding, Inzamam is very rarely seen. Part of the reason is due to his loathness towards exercise. Inzy’s best fielding positions include short mid-wicket, mid on or the slip cordon. He is known to be an extremely poor fielder and is usually seen as a passenger on the field.

6. The ‘Bat Behavior’ incident:

India and Pakistan met in Toronto, Canada in 1997 to commemorate 50 years of independence. While a majority of records were set, the tour will be remembered for Inzmam’s infamous ‘Bat Behavior’. An Indo-Canadian fan compared Inzy to a potato using a megaphone. Unable to control his temper, Inzy went berserk and hit the fan with his bat on the way back to the dressing room following his dismissal.

7. Relationship with ‘The Bob’:

Inzamam reportedly had a very close relationship with former Pakistan coach, the late Bob Woolmer. In the 3 years, they spent in the team together, the Pakistani side became a dangerous side in ODI cricket. Following his death in Kingston, Inzy led the memorial service for Woolmer at a church in Karachi.

8. An effective southpaw:

Although Inzamam is an effective right-handed batsman, he throws and bowls with his left hand. He has bowled 58 balls in his entire ODI career and picked up 3 wickets.

9. True talent:

Former Pakistani skipper Imran Khan has praised Inzy time and again for his batting. He was once quoted saying, “I think Inzamam is as talented as Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar but little does he realise his true talent”

10. A soft corner for run-outs:

One record Inzamam would not be proud of will certainly be his run-outs. He has been involved in 40 run outs in his career, one behind former Sri Lankan batsman Marvan Attapatu.

11. The forfeited Test Match:

Inzamam became the first ever captain to forfeit a Test match against England in 2006. Inzamam captained a team that refused to re-enter the field after tea, on 20 August 2006 at The Oval after allegations of ball tampering from umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove. Inzamam and his team staged a protest at the decision. Later, Inzamam returned to the field with his team, only to find both the umpires and the English team absent. After further discussions between both teams, umpires and cricket board officials it was eventually agreed that the match could not be restarted with the match eventually awarded to England.

12. Coach of Afghanistan:

Inzamam was named as ‘batting consultant’ of the Afghanistan national side in December 2012. n October 2015, he was appointed as the temporary head coach of the Afghanistan national cricket team for their tour of Zimbabwe in October 2015. His contract was renewed until 2017 after successful tour of Zimbabwe where they won both the ODIs and T20Is which was Afghanistan’s first series win against a Test playing nation.

13. The big hitting avatar:

Inzamam signed for the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) for its inaugural season in 2007. He captained the Lahore side in the competition. The move proved to be controversial as he was banned by the PCB for national team selection as well as domestic level matches. He has also played one T20 internatoinal against England at Bristol, where Pakistan won the match by 5 wickets.

 14. A Lahore farewell:

Inzamam played his final Test at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore against South Africa. He came out to bat amid a guard of honor organized by Proteas skipper Graeme Smith. he failed miserably with the bat as the match was eventually drawn.

15. Sitara-e-Imtiaz:

The Pakistani Government, in 2005, awarded Inzamam ul Haq with the Sitara-e-Imtiaz.